swy 






I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 






UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



ID1&E>J^&^^& 



OF 



Horses and Cattle 



WRITTEN ESPECIALLY FOR THE 



FARMER, STOCKMAN AND VETERINARY STUDENT. 



>' 

.^*' 



By d: Mcintosh, v. s. 



Professor of Veterinary Science in the University of Illinois; 
Author of "The Diseases op the Pig." 



iF- 14 1896 



DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY, 
Printers, binders and Publishers, 

407 to 429 Dearborn St. 
CHICAGO. 



r.<^ 



^\ 



COPYKIGHTED BY D. McINTOSH 

1895. 



DONOHUE & HENNEBERRY, 
Printebs, Binders and Publishers, 

CHICAGO. 



INDEX 



PAGE 

Abdomen, dropsy of the 325 

Abortion 303 

Accidents following parturition. 330 

Acne 138 

Acute catarrh 74 

Acute farcy 183 

Acute founder 248 

Acute glanders 181 

Actinomycosis 151 

Afterbirth, retention of 330 

Air under the skin 140 

Alopecia 138 

Amaurosis 292 

Aneurism 106 

Ankle, bent 3fil 

Anterior iliac spine, fracture of.. 203 

Arteries, injuries to 104 

Azoturia 167 

Baldness 138 

Bent Ankle 361 . 

Bladder, inversion of 126 

Bladder, paralysis of 125 

Blackleg 189 

Bleeding from the nose 77 

Bleeding from the lungs 85 

Blind staggers 158 

Bloating 40 

Bloody milk 345 

Blood poisoning 191 

Blood with the urine 116 

Body, fistula of 280 

Bog spavin 224 

Bones, fracture of 199 

Bones, mode of union of 200 

Bone spavin 227 

Bots 31 

Bowels , inflammation of 58 

Brain, congestion of 159 

Brain, inflammation of 157 

Broken wind 88 

Bronchitis fil 

Bronchitis, parasitical 365 

Burns 143 

Calculi 127 

Calculi, cystic 127 

Calculi, preputial 132 

Calculi, urethral 131 

Calf, diarrhoea in the 359 

Calf, husk or hoose in the 365 

Calf, management of the 356 

Calf, rheumatism in the 362 

Cancer, epithelium. 1.54 

Cancer, melanotic 153 

Canker 266 

Capped elbow 149 

Capped hock 1 50 

Carbuncles of the coronary band 257 

Castration 374 

Catarrh, acute 74 

Catarrh, chronic 76 

Cataracts 297 

Cattle, diseases of stomach of . . . 40 
■Cattle, sore feet in 273 



PAGE 

Catarrhal fever 171 

Cerebral spinal meningitis 161 

Champignon ... 376 

Chapped or cracked teats 344 

Choking in horses 25 

Choking in cattle 27 

Chronic catarrh 76 

Chronic coiagh 95 

Chronic farcy 183 

Chronic founder 254 

Chronic glanders 179 

Chronic hoven 42 

Chi'onic suppuration 377 

Coffin bone, diseases of 243 

Colic, flatulent 52 

Colic indigestible 57 

Colic spasmodic 50 

Colt, weaning of the 363 

Congestion of the brain 159 

Congestion of the liver 71 

Congestion of the lungs 84 

Constipation 358 

Contused wounds 386 

Contraction of the foot 245 

Convulsions 156 

Cord, hemorrhage from the 356 

Cord, schirrhus of the 376 

Cornea, ulcers on the 294 

Coronary substance, inflamma- 
tion of the 255 

Corns 263 

Coronitis 2o5 

Cow pox 346 

Cow, signs of parturition in the 306 

Cracked heels 146 

Cramps of muscle of stifle 224 

Cramps of muscle of thigh 222 

Crib-biting 34 

Curb 233 

Cvstitis 121 

Cystic calculi 127 

Description of the Kidney 113 

Diabetes, insipidus 118 

Diarrhoea 60 

Diarrhoea in the foal 358 

Diarrhoea in the calf 359 

Difficult parturition 309 

Dilatation of the heart 101 

Dilatation of the stomach of the 

horse 34 

Dilatation of the salivary duct . . 24 

Disease, navicular 246 

Diseases of bones 199 

Diseases of the coffin bone 243 

Diseases of the eye 289 

Diseases of the foetus which im- 
pede delivery 326 

Diseases of the feet '^3b 

Diseases of the generative or- 
gans 367 

Diseases of the hock joint 224 

Diseases of the intestines 50 

Diseases of the joints 208 



INDEX— Continued. 



PAGE 

Diseases of the liver 70 

Diseases of the lymphatics 108 

Diseases of the mouth 18 

Diseases of the nervous system., 155 
Diseases of the organs of circu- 
lation 97 

Diseases of the organs of masti- 
cation 18 

Diseases following parturition . . 330 
Diseases of the respiratory or- 
gans 74 

Diseases of the salivarj' glands. 23 

Diseases of the skin 134 

Diseases of the stomach of cattle 40 
Diseases of the stomach of the 

horse 31 

Diseases of the teats 343 

Diseases of the urinai-y organs. . 113 

Dislocation of the patella 20.t 

Dislocation of the pastern joint. 207 

Distemper 175 

Diuresis US 

Dropsy of the abdomen 325 

Dropsy of the head 323 

Dropsy of the uterus 337 

Dry murrain 45 

Dyspepsia 35 

Dysentery 61 

Eczema 134 

Elbow joint, lameness of 210 

Elbow, capped 210 

Elongated teeth 19 

Embryotomy 227 

Emphysema 140 

Endocai-ditis 100 

Enuresis 125 

Enlargement of the heart 103 

Enlargement of the testicles 373 

Enteritis 58 

Entropium 295 

Epistaxis 77 

Epizootic or catarrhal fever 171 

Epithelium cancer 154 

Eye, diseases of the 289 

Eye, woi-m in the 295 

Eyeball, punctures to the 293 

Eyelids, inversion of the 295 

Eyelids, woimds to the 296 

False quarter 258 

Farcy, acute 183 

Farcy, chronic 183 

Feet, diseases of the 235 

Feet, nails in the 270 

Feet, weak 272 

Femur, fracture of 203 

Fetlock joint, sprains of 216 

Fever, inflammatory 189 

Fibrous tumors 149 

P^ilaria papillosa 295 

Fistula of the body 280 

Fistula salivary 24 

Fistula of the scrotum 377 

Fistula of the withers 276 

Flexor tendon, sprains of the. . . 214 

Foal, diarrhoea in the 358 

Foal, management of the 356 

Foal, rheumatism in the 362 

Foot, punctures to the sole of 270 

Foot, structure of the 236 



PAGE 

Founder, acute 248 

Founder, chronic 254 

Fractures of the anterior iliac 

spine 202 

Fi-actures of the bones 199 

Fractures of the femur 203 

Fractures of the ischium 203 

Fractures of the jaw 22 

Fractures of the patella 2lj4 

Fractures of the libs 204 

Fungous growths 370 

Fungus haematodes 2§8 

Garget 333 

Gasti'itis 36 

Generative organs, diseases of. . 367 

Glanders, acute 181 

Glanders, chronic 179 

Glaucoma 292 

Gleet, nasal 76 

Goitre 95 

Gonorrhea 367 

Grease 143 

Growths, fungous 370 

Gullet, inflammation of 28 

Gullet, rupture of 28 

Gut-tie 58 

Haemorrhoids 64 

Haemoptysis 85 

Haematuria 116 

Hasmorrhagica purpuria 107 

Haemorrhagia 107 

Haemorrhage from the cord 356 

Hsemorrhage venous 106 

Hay, clover 264 

Head, dropsy of . . .- 323 

Heart, enlargement of 103 

Heart, palpitation of 97 

Heart, rupture of 103 

Heaves 88 

Heels, cracked 146 

Hernia, inguinal 67 

Hernia, scrotal 68 

Hernia, umbilical 67 

Hernia, ventral 69 

Hepatitis 72 

Hide bound 134 

Hip, Avasting of 220 

Hip joint, lameness of 218 

Hock, capped 150 

Hock joint, diseases of 224 

Hock joint, injuries to 233 

Horse pox 186 

Hoven 40 

Hoven, chronic 42 

Husk or hoose in calves 365 

Hydrocele 372 

Hypertrophy 103 

Hypertrophy of the kidneys 121 

Idiopathic hematuria 117 

Ilium, fracture of the shaft of.. 202 
Impaction of the large intestines 55 

Impaction of the r\;men 43 

Impaction of the stomach of the 

horse 32 

Impaction of the third stomach.. 45 

Incised wounds 283 

Indigestion in cattle 48 

Indigestible colic 57 

Inflammation of bladder 121 



INDEX— Continued. 



PAGK 

Inflammation of bowels 58 

Inflammation of brain 157 

Inflammation of coronary sub- 

stau ce 255 

Inflammation of fonrth stomach 

of cattle 47 

Inflammation of gullet 28 

Inflammation of kidneys 114 

Inflammation of liver 73 

Inflammation of lungs 86 

Inflammation of lymphatics 109 

Inflammation of mouth 20 

Inflammation of parotid gland. . 25 

Inflammation of pericardium 98 

Inflammation of sensitive lami- 
na? 248 

Inflammation of spinal cord 161 

Inflammation of tb e stomach 36 

Inflammation of testicles 371 

Inflammation of tongue 20 

Inflammation of udder 338 

Inflammation of urethra 367 

Inflammation of veins 107 

Inflammatory fever 189 

Influenza 171 

Injuries to arteries 104 

Injuries to hock joint 233 

Injuries to maxillary joint 21 

Injuries to teats 343 

Instruments 310 

Intestines 50 

Intestines, diseases of 50 

Intestines, impaction of 55 

Intestinal concretions 57 

Intussusception 58 

Invei'sion of bladder 126 

Inversion of eyelids 295 

Inversion of urino-genital or- 
gans 332 

Inversion of uteriis 334 

Inversion of vagina 333 

Ischium, fracture of 203 

Ischiiria 119 

Jaundice 70 

Jaw, fracture of 22 

Joints, diseases of 208 

Joints, swollen 363 

Karaloma 261 

Kidney, diseases of 113 

Kidney, hypertrophy of 121 

Kidney, worm in the 121 

Lacerated wounds 285 

Lachrymal duct, stricture of 297 

Lameness of the elbow joint 210 

Lameness of the hip joint 218 

Lameness of the shoulder joint. . 210 

Lameness of stifle joint 221 

Lampas 20 

Larangitis 78 

Lateral cartilage, ossification of 244 

Leucorrhoea 372 

Lichen 137 

Lithotomy in the horse 129 

Lithotomy in the ox 131 

Liver, diseases of 70 

Liver, congestion of . 71 

Liver, inflammation of 72 

Local paralysis ] 64 

Lockjaw 165 



PAGE 

Lousiness 142 

Lumpy jaw l.nl 

Lungs, inflammation of 86 

Lymphangitis , loy 

Lvmphoma ]53 

Mad itch 46 

Mammary glands 337 

Mammitis 338 

Management of the calf 356 

Management of the foal 356 

Mange I40 

Maxillary joint, injuries to 21 

Megrims 158 

Melanotic tumors 153 

Milk fever 350 

Mode of union of bones 2(X) 

Mouth, diseases of 18 

Mouth, inflammation of 20 

Miimps 25 

Nails in feet 270 

Nasal gleet ... .76 

N avicular disease 246 

Neck, sore on top of 213 

Nephritis 114 

Nettle-rash 136 

Obstruction in teats 343 

Open joint 22 

Ophthalmia, periodic 290 

Ophthalmia, simple ... 289 

Orchitis . 37]^ 

Organs of generation in mare and 

cow 299 

Organs of circulation, diseases 

of 97 

Ossification of the lateral cartil- 
age 244 

Ox, lithotomy in the . 131 

Palpitation of the heart 97 

Paralysis of the bladder 125 

Paralysis, local ,. ]6t 

Parasitical bronchitis 365 

Paraphymosis 369 

Parotid gland, inflammation of 25 
Parturition, accidents following 330 
Parturition, diseases following. . 330 
Parturition, signs of.in the cow 306 
Parturition, signs of,in the mare 305 

Pastern joint, dislocation of 207 

Patella, dislocation of . . 205 

Pelvis, fracture of 203 

Pericai'ditis . . 98 

Pericardium, inflammation of . .. 98 

Periodic ophthalmia 290 

Peritonitis . . 378 

Phlebitis 107 

Phrenitis 1.^7 

Phymosis 368 

Piles 64 

Pimphigus 137 

Pityriasis 132 

Placenta, retent ion of 330 

Pleurisy 91 

Pneumonia 86 

Poll evi 1 279 

Polyuria 118 

Pregnancy, signs of 302 

Preputial, calculi 132 

Prolapsus 64 

Prurigo 138 



INDEX— Continued. 



PAGE 

Puiiclures to the eyeball 293 

Pimctures to the sole of foot 270 

Punctiired wounds 285 

Purpuria htemorrhagica 107 

Pyemia 191 

Quarter, false 258 

Quittor 272 

Raniila 25 

Rectum, pi*olaps\is of 64 

Respiratory orfrans, diseases of. 74 

Retention of urine 123 

Retention of placenta or after- 
birth ' 330 

Rheumatism 192 

Ribs, fracture of 204 

Rinfjbone 216 

Rincrworm 142 

Rumen, impaction of 43 

Rupture of the gullet 28 

Rupture 65 

Salivary fistula 24 

Salivary glands, diseases of 23 

Sarcocele. schirrhus of 376 

Sand crack 2.59 

Scalds 142 

Schirrhus of the cord, or sarco- 
cele 376 

Scratches H6 

Scrotal hernia 68 

Scrotum, water in 372 

Seedy toe 262 

Sensitive laminie, inflammation 

of 248 

Shaft Df the ilium, fracture of.. . 202 

Shoeing of the horse 238 

Shoulder joint, lameness of 210 

Side bone 244 

Signs of pregnancy 302 

Signs of parturition in the cow.. 306 
Signs of parturition in the mare. 30f) 

Simple ophthalmia 289 

Skin, diseases of 134 

hole of foot, ]ninctures to 270 

Sore on top of neck 213 

Sore feet in cattle 273 

Sore throat 78 

Spasms lf)6 

Spavin, bog 224 

Spavin, bone 227 

Spinal cord, inflammation of 161 

Sprains of the fetlock joint 216 

Sprains of the flexor tendon 214 

Sprains of the muscles of hip 220 

Sprains of muscles of front of 

stifle 220 

Sprains of the suspensory liga- 
ment 215 

Sterility 303 

Stomach of the ox 3S 

Stomach of the horse 31 

Stomach of the horse, dilatation 

of 34 

Stomach of the horse, diseases of 31 
Stomach of thehorse. impaction of 32 
Stomach of cattle, diseases of . . . * 40 

Stone in the bladder 127 

Strangles 175 

Stricture of the lachrymal duct. . 297 



PAGE 

Structure of the foot 2;S6 

Sunstroke 159 

Superpui'gation 63 

Suppression of urine 119 

Suppuration, chronic 377 

Surfeit 136 

Suspensory ligament, sprains of. 215 

Swelling of the parts 876 

Swollen joints 362 

Teats, injuries to 343 

Teats, obstruction in 343 

Teats, warts on 344 

Teeth, iri'egularities of IH 

Testicles, enlargement of 373 

Tetanus 165 

Third stomach, impaction of 45 

Thorough-pin 226 

Thrush .. 265 

Tinea tonsurotis, ringworm 147 

Tongue, inflammation of 20 

Tuberosity, fracture of 201 

Tuberculosis 196 

Tumors, cystic 149 

Tumors, fibrous 149 

Tumors in the false nostril of the 

horse J51 

Tumors, melanotic . 163 

Tymp.initis in horses 52 

Tympanitis in cattle 40 

Udder, inflammation of 338 

Ulcers 370 

Ulcers on the cornea 294 

Umbilical hernia 67 

Urine, blood with the 116 

Urine, incontinence of 125 

Urine, retention of 12J 

Urine, s^jppression of ... 119 

Urinary organs, diseases of 113 

Urethral calculi 131 

T^rticarja 136 

Uterus, dropsy of 337 

Uterus, inversion of 334 

Vagina, inversion of 333 

Variola equina 186 

Variola vaccine 346 

Veins, inflammation of 107 

Venous liaMnorrhage 106 

Ventral hernia 69 

Volvulus .... 58 

Warts 139 

Warts on eyelids 296 

Warts on teats 344 

Wasting of the hip 220 

Wasting of the muscles of front 

of stifle ..220 

Weak feet 272 

Weaning of the colt 363 

White scours .359 

Wind-sucking 35 

Wind galls 216 

Withers, fistula of 276 

Worm in the eye 295 

Worm in the kidney 121 

Wounds 282 

Wounds, contused 286 

Wounds, incised 283 

Wounds, lacerated 285 

Wounds, punctured 285 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

Diseases of the Organs of Mastication. 

Diseases of the Mouth— Irregularities of the Teeth — Elon- 
gated Teeth— Lampas, Inflammation of the Mouth and 
Tongue— Injuries to the Maxillary Joint— Fractures of the 
Jaw— Diseases of the Salivary Glands— Inflammation of the 
Parotid Gland— Salivary Fistula— Choking— Rupture of the 
Gullet— Inflammation of the Gullet. 

CHAPTER II. 

Diseases of the Stomach of Horses and Cattle. 

Bots— Impaction of the Stomach of the Horse— Dilatation of 
the Stomach— Crib-biting and Wind-sucking— Dyspepsia— 
Gastritis— Stomach of the Ox— Tympanitis or Hoven— 
Chronic Hoven in Cattle— Impaction of the Rumen— Impac- 
tion of the Third Stomach. 

CHAPTER III. 

Diseases of the Intestines. 

Colic— Spasmodic Colic— Flatulent Colic or Bloating— Impac- 
tion of the Intestines— Indigestible Colic — Enteritis, In- 
flammation of the Bowels — Diarrhoea — Dysentery — Super- 
purgation— Haemorrhoids or Piles— Prolapsus, Protrusion 
of the Rectum— Hernia, Rupture— Umbilical Hernia— 
Scrotal Hernia— Ventral Hernia. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Diseases of the Liver. 

Jaundice— Congestion of the Liver— Hepatitis, Inflammation 
of the Liver. 



4 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER V. 

Diseases of the Respiratory Organs. 
Nasal Gleet— Chronic Catarrh— Acute Catarrh— Laryngitis, 
Sore Throat— Epistaxis, Bleeding from the Nose— Bron- 
chitis— Congestion of the Lungs— Pneumonia, Inflammation 
of the Lungs— Heaves, Broken Wind— Pleurisy— Chronic 
Cough— Haemoptysis, Bleeding from the Lungs. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Diseases of the Organs of Circulation. 
Palpitation of the Heart— Pericarditis— Endocarditis— Dilata- 
tion of the Heart — Hypertrophy— Injuries to the Arteries— 
Aneurism— Venous Hemorrhage — Phlebitis— Diseases of the 
Lymphatics— Lymphangitis— Purpura Hemorrhagica. 

CHAPTER VII. 
Diseases of the Urinary Organs. 

Description of the Kidney— Nephritis, Inflammation of the 
Kidney— Haematuria, Blood with the Urine— Idiopathic 
Haematuria— Polyuria, Diureses, Diabetes Insipidus— 
Ischuria, Suppression of Urine — Worms in the Kidney — 
Cystitis, Inflammation of the Bladder— Retention of Urine- 
Paralysis of the Bladder — Enuresis, Incontinence of 
Urine— Calculi— Lithotomy in the Ox— Urethral Calculi— 
Preputial Calculi. 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Diseases of the Skin. 

Hide-Bound— Eczema— Urticaria, Nettle-Rash or Surfet— 
Lichen— Pimphigus—Purigo— Acne — Pityriasis — Alopecia, 
Baldness— Warts— Emphysema, Air under the Skin— Mange 
—Lousiness— Scalds and Burns— Grease— Scratches or 
Cracked Heels in Horses— Ringworm. 

CHAPTER IX. 
Tumors. 
Fibrous Tumors— Cystic Tumors— Capped Hock— Capped 
Elbow— Cysted Tumors in the False Nostril of the Horse— 
Actinomycosis, Lumpy-jaw— Melanosis— Lymphoma— Epithe- 
lial Cancer. 



CONTENTS. 5 

CHAPTER X. 

Diseases of the Nervous System. 
Spasms and Convulsions — Phrenitis, Inflammation of the 
Brain — Megrims — Congestion of the Brain — Sunstroke — 
Cerebral Spinal Meningitis— Local Paralysis— Lock-jaw — 
Azoturia. 

CHAPTER XI. 
Influenza, Epizootic or Catarrhal Fever. 

CHAPTER XIL 

Distemper, (Strangles.) 

CHAPTER XIIL 
Farcy. (Glanders.) 
Acute Farcy— Chronic Farcy. 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Horse Pox. (Variola Equina.) 

CHAPTER XV. 
Black-leg. (Inflammatory Fever.) 

CHAPTER XVL 
Rheumatism. 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Tuberculosis. 

CHAPTER XVIII. 
Fractures of Bones. 
Fractures— Mode of Union — Fracture of the Anterior Iliac 
Spine— Fracture cf the Shaft of the Ilium— Fracture of the 
Pelvis— Fracture of the Tuberosity of the Ischium — Frac- 
ture of the Femur (Thigh Bone)— Fracture of the Stifle 
Joint or Patella— Fracture of the Ribs — Dislocation of the 
Patella (Stifle Bone)— Dislocation of the Pastern Joint. 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Diseases of Joints. 
Elbow Joint Lameness — Shoulder .Joint Lameness — Sore on 
Top of Neck— Sprain of the Flexor Tendon (Back Tendon) 
—Sprain of the Suspensory Ligament— Sprain of the Fetlock 



6 CONTENTS. 

Joint — Wind-galls — Ringbone — Hip Joint Lameness — Strain 
and Wasting of the Muscles of the Hip — Strain and Wasting 
of the Crural Muscles (Muscles in Front of Thigh Bone) — 
Stifle Joint Lameness — Cramps of the Muscles of the Thigh 
—Cramps of the Stifle Muscles— Diseases of the Hock Joint 
— Bog Spavin — Thorough-Pin — Bone-Spavin — Curb — Injuries 
to the Hock Joint. 

CHAPTER XX. 

Diseases of the Feet. 
Structure of the Foot — Shoeing the Horse — Diseases of the 
Coffin Bone— Ossification of the Lateral Cartilage (Side Bone) 
— Contraction of the Foot — Navicular Disease — Laminitis 
(Founder) — Chronic Laminitis — Coronitis, Inflammation of 
the Coronarj^ Substance — Carbuncles — False Quarter — Sand 
Crack — Karaloma (Horny Tumor) — Seedy Toe — Corns — 
Thrush — Canker — Punctures to the Sole of the Foot by 
Nails— Weak Feet— Quittor — Sore Feet in Cattle. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Wounds. 
Kinds of Wounds — Incised Wounds — Lacerated Wounds — 
Contused Wounds — Punctured Wounds. 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Fistula of the Withers— Poll Evil— Fistulas in Various Parts 
of the Body. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Organs of Generation. 
Sterility — Signs of Pregnancy — Abortion. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Parturition. 
Signs of Parturition in the Mare— Signs of Parturition in the 
Cow — Instruments— Difficult Parturition— Diseases of the 
Foetus Which Impede Delivery — Dropsy of Head — Dropsy 
of Abdomen — Embryotomy. 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Accidents and Diseases Following Parturition. 
Retention of the Placenta or Afterbirths— Inversion of the 
Urino-Genital Organs— Inversion of the Bladder— Inversion 



CONTENTS. 7 

of the Vagina — Inversion of tlie Uterus — Dropsy of the 
Uterus — Mammary Glands or Udder — Mammitis, Inflamma- 
tion of the Udder — Garget — Diseases and Injuries to the 
Teats — Obstruction in Teat — Warts on Teats — Chapped or 
Cracked Teats — Bloody Milk — Cow Pox (Variola Vaccine) — 
Milk Fever. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
Management of the Foal and Calf. 
Hemorrhage from the Cord — Constipation — Diarrhoea — Diar- 
rhoea in Calves (White Scours) — Bent Ankle — Swollen 
Joints — Rheumatism — Weaning the Colt — Clover Hay — 
Parasitical Bronchitis, Husk or Hoose in Calves. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
Diseases of the Eye. 
Simple Ophthalmia— Periodic Ophthalmia— Glaucoma— Amau- 
rosis— Punctures to the Eyeball— Ulcers on the Cornea 
— Filaris Papillosa (Worm in the Eye) — Entropium (Inver- 
sion of the Eyelids)— Warts on the Eyelids — Wounds to the 
Eyelids — Stricture of the Lachrymal Duct — Cataracts. 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
Diseases of the Generative Organs. 
Gonorrhea— Phymosis—Paraphymosis— Ulcers and Fungous 
Growths— Orchitis— Hydrocele— Chronic Enlargements of 
the Testicles — Leucorrhea. 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Castration. 
Swelling of the Parts — Champignon, Scirrhus of the Cord or 
Sarcocele— Chronic Suppuration or Fistula of the Scrotum 
— Peritonitis. 



PREFACE. 



In consequence of the urgent solicitations of 
numerous farmer friends that I should, for their 
benefit, and that of thousands of other farmers and 
stockmen in the United States, publish my twenty- 
five years' experience in the treatment of horses and 
cattle, I have undertaken this work, especially on 
account of my new discoveries in the treatment of 
some diseases, by which they have greatly bene- 
fited, such as the discovery of the true nature of 
that very fatal disease known as "Milk Fever." 
The theory which was taught and w^ritten on this 
subject, namely. Parturient Apoplexy or Conges- 
tion of the Brain and Spinal Cord, is not correct, the 
disease being purely of a nervous character, caus- 
ing a partial paralysis of the spinal cord and brain, 
and w^hen treated accordingly the majority of cases 
recover. This has been of great pecuniary value, 
as thousands of valuable cows die annually from 
this disease, and as this work gets into the hands 
of the greater number of farmers and dairymen it 
will be a saving of thousands of dollars to them. 
My new methods of treating "Fistula of the With- 
ers," "Poll Evil," and all kinds of wounds from barb 
wire, will be worth ten times the price of the book. 
Also my experience in the care of horses' feet, and 



10 PREFACE. 

the successful treatment of the same. There are 
also some new and valuable hints on "Parturi- 
tion," which will enable the stockmen and farmers 
to deliver safely those difficult cases of parturition 
in both mare and cow without the use of instru- 
ments. All other diseases are treated in the latest 
methods by the medicines with which I have had 
the most success. This volume will also be of very 
great service to the student in veterinary science, 
as well as the young practitioner, as they will find 
the experience of twenty-five years of successful 
practice and teaching. The book is written so that 
anyone can understand it, technicalities having 
been avoided as far as possible. The need of such 
a practical work on the diseases of horses and cat- 
tle has long been felt, and in offering it to the stock- 
man and farmer I do it with a certain knowledge 
that it will accomplish for him all I claim for it. 



INTRODUCTION 



METHODS OP ADMINISTERING MEDICINE. 

There are several ways in which medicine can 
enter the system: By the month, by the lungs and 
air passages (by inhalation), under the skin (hypo- 
dermic), and by the rectum. But the most conven-' 
ient and safest plan for the farmer and stockman is 
by the mouth. One form is the ball, which is made 
by pulverizing the substance and mixing it with a 
little lard or syrup to the consistency of a dough 
for making bread, then roll it up in a small piece of 
tissue paper, using a little gum to make it stick. 
The ball should not be too large, not exceeding the 
size of one's thumb. If there is too much material 
make it into two balls instead of having one too 
large. Balls should be used fresh; when they are 
old and hard they may pass through without being 
digested. Powders should be finely ground, so that 
they will dissolve easily in the stomach, and there- 
fore act morequickly. Medicine in the form of pow- 
ders, such as sulphate of iron and copper, are too 
irritating to be given as they are, as they would ir- 
ritate the mouth, and should be given in bran mash 
or oatmeal gruel. The vegetable powders, such as 
gentian, are too bitter to give in mashes to horses, 



12 INTRODUCTION. 

but COWS will usually take them. When it is neces- 
sary to give a horse such medicines as gentian and 
nux vomica, if it will not eat it in bran mash, give 
it as a drench in a quart of oatmeal gruel. Oils 
and liquid medicines are best given as drenches, 
with the exception of Fowler's solution of arsenic, 
which should be given in the food. Giving the 
medicine as a drench is the easiest method for the 
farmer and stockman unless he has a balling iron. 

Method of Giving a Drench to the Horse. — Put 
on a halter with a nose band, then take a small rope 
or strap and make a noose about a foot long, push 
this down under the nose band of the halter, 
then into the mouth, and by this noose pull up the 
head to a little above the level of the neck, so that 
the medicine will not run down out of the mouth. 
If the animal will not swallow tickle the roof of the 
mouth with the fingers or the neck of the bot- 
tle. Do not draw out the tongue nor pinch its 
throat, as it may cause the animal to cough, and 
it will either lose the medicine in its niouth or some 
of it may pass into the windpipe. Great patience 
is required in giving a horse a drench. Medicine 
should not be given by the nose, as it is apt to get 
into the windpipe, causing great irritation, and 
probably the death of the animal. If the horse 
should cough, let the head down until it ceases, then 
elevate the head as before. Never put too much in 
its mouth at once; give it in small quantities, and 
when it swallows give a little more, and so on until 
all is taken. 

Drenching cattle is much easier accomplished 



INTRODUCTION. 13 

than drenching horses. Their pallet is short, and 
thej cannot retain the medicine in the mouth as 
the horse does. In drenching cattle one man 
stands on the left side of the animal and takes hold 
of its horns; if it has no horns he takes hold of its 
ears, or places his arms around its neck; the man 
that gives the medicine stands on the right side and 
places his thumb and index finger in the animal's 
nose and holds fast to it, the animal of its own 
accord then holds up its head; have the bottle con- 
taining the medicine in the right hand, place the 
neck of the bottle into the side of the mouth and 
pour in a little at a time as the animal swallows un- 
til all is taken. Cattle should not get medicine in 
ball form, as it would likely ^ass into the paunch 
and remain there for some time. Epsom salts is 
the best physic for cattle in ordinary cases where 
a physic is needed. The dose for an adult cow is 
from one to one and a half pounds mixed with from 
a half to an ounce of ginger, dissolved in half a gal- 
lon of cold water. For a two-year-old three-fourths 
of a pound ;-f or a one-year-old, half a pound. Aloes 
is the proper physic for horses unless otherwise 
ordered. Dose for an adult horse, six to eight 
drams; for a three-year-old, from four to six drams; 
for a two-year-old, three to five drams; raw linseed 
oil is the most suitable in cases of irritation of the 
stomach, bowels and kidneys; dose, one pint to one 
quart. 

PULSE OF THE HORSE. 

This is best found on the lower jaw, where the 
artery crosses the jaw on its lower edge, about two 



14 INTRODUCTION. 

inches forward from its angle. The pulse beats in 
the horse from thirty-six to forty per minute in 
health, but may run up to over one hundred in 
disease. 

PULSE OP CATTLE. 

The pulse in cattle is found on the lower jaw, 
about the same place as in the horse, only a little 
more to the outside. The number of pulsations per 
minute in the cow is forty-five to fifty in health. 

TEMPERATURE. 

The average temperature of the horse in health 
is from ninety-nine and a half to one hundred and 
one and a half; in cattle ninety-nine to one hundred 
and two. In disease, the temperature may rise as 
high as one hundred and seven or even higher and 
the animal live. In animals the temperature is 
best taken in the rectum; the instrument can be 
purchased from any of the instrument makers. 

RESPIRATION. 

When respiration is undisturbed it usually main- 
tains a constant standard. In the adult horse it 
varies from nine to twelve in the minute; in adult 
cattle from fifteen to twenty. It is faster in young 
animals. Exercise increases for the time being the 
number; but after the animal has rested for a few 
minutes it falls to its normal standard. If it should 
keep up after being rested it indicates that there is 
some disturbance; in this case the pulse should be 
examined, and if it is not accelerated, that will indi- 
cate that there is nothing serious; on the other 



INTRODUCTION. 15 

hand, if it should be accelerated, it will indicate 
that the animal is sick. Both horses and cattle 
will breathe a little faster and heavier when their 
stomachs are distended. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER I. 

DISEASES OP THE ORGANS OF MASTICATION. 

The diseases and mechanical impediments to the 
mouth and teeth are very common in the horse, and 
they are often overlooked until the animal is very 
much emaciated. A horse was brought to me in 
the following condition : Saliva dropping from the 
mouth, and if the animal was offered food it would 
greedily take it into its mouth and try to chew it, 
then drop it out, and if water was given it would 
try to drink, but could swallow very little of it. 
The horse had been in this cordit:?^ for five days, 
and had lost flesh rapidly, and was weak. I exaux 
ined the mouth and could not see anything wrong 
at first, but the symptoms indicated that the 
trouble was in the mouth. I twitched the nose, 
and taking the tongue in my hand, drawing it to 
one side and passing the tooth rasp between the 
cheek and the molar teeth, I discovered that the 
fourth molar tooth was split, the smallest portion 
sticking partially in the gum and muscles of the 
cheek. This I removed by pressing the end of the 



18 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

rasp against it. The horse began to eat at once. 
Another horse showed the same symptoms except 
that it could swallow water. In this case I found 
a piece of corn cob wedged between the upper mo- 
lar teeth; so firm was it fixed that I had to cut it 
before it could be removed. Another case to illus- 
trate an injury to the tongue. The animal could 
eat soft food, but hay, oats, and corn dropped out 
of the mouth as soon as it was taken in. The symp- 
toms w^ere the same as above. I examined the 
mouth and found that the tongue was cut one-third 
of the way through, and the sore had become un- 
healthy, as the animal had been in this condition 
three weeks. I cleaned the w^ound and touched it 
w^ith nitrate of silver to destroy the unhealthy part, 
then used to heal it: Glycerine, two ounces; tinc- 
ture of catechu, one ounce; alum, one dram, shaken 
up well, and applying a little to the sore with a 
feather twice daily. The animal was fed on ground 
oats and bran until the wound healed. There are 
numbers of cases which I could enumerate where 
if the ^^'Ak^i' had examined the mouth he would 
have saved the poor animal from suffering and 
himself trouble and expense. 

IRREGULARITIES OP THE TEETH. 

The outer edges of the upper molars and the in- 
ner edges of the lower molars are sharp and some- 
times cut the cheeks or the tongue and prevent the 
horse from eating well. This is best remedied by 
rasping off the sharp points, taking care not to 
rasp the grinding surface of the tooth. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 19 

Elongated Teeth. — Sometimes we will find one 
or more of the molar teeth elongated, and interfer- 
ing with mastication. In this case the elongated 
portion requires to be cut off and the edges rasped. 
Young horses from two to four years old suffer 
from the development of permanent molars in their 
sockets behind the temporary ones before they 
drop out, causing a swelling of the jaw. If there 
is a discharge from the nose, it will be necessary to 
remove the temporary, and in some cases the per- 
manent ones also. If there is no discharge, it is 
best not to interfere, and as soon as the temporary 
tooth drops out and the permanent one grows 
down the swelling will disappear. Horses suffer 
sometimes from decayed teeth. The symptoms are 
well described by Bouley. First: Kemarkable 
fetor, which is peculiar to the disease, and per- 
vades the mouth and the saliva within it. Second : 
Flow of saliva from the mouth. Third: The ap- 
pearance of a black spot on the carious tooth, or a 
cavity varying in extent according to the duration 
of the disease. Fouth : Sharp pain indicated when 
the tooth is struck by any instrument. Fifth: 
Swelling of the gums, redness and pain around the 
diseased tooth. Sixth: The accumulation of food 
about the diseased tooth, and which, undergoing 
putrefaction, produces the most repulsive smell. 
It should be removed and the jgiart cleaned out once 
a day for a few days and washed with a teaspoonf ul 
of carbolic acid in a pint of water. 



20 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

LAMPAS. 

Lampas is a swelling of the mucous membrane 
called the bars. This is no disease, but the result 
of the development of the teeth causing an in- 
creased quantity of blood to the part, which will 
pass away as soon as th0 teeth are full grown. In 
very bad cases a few pricks with a suture needle 
and bathing the mouth with a teaspoonful of alum 
in half a pint of cold water will relieve it for a time. 
The animal should be fed on soft food. In horses 
that have a full mouth of teeth, give a dose of aloes, 
one ounce; soda carbonate, half an ounce; ground 
ginger, half an ounce; dissolve in half pint of boil- 
ing water, then add half a pint more of cold water 
and give at one dose. 

INFLAMMATION OF MOUTH AND TONGUE. 

This is usually the result of giving too irritating 
medicine or the animal eating some acid plants 
among the grass or hay. The symptoms are swell- 
ing of the tongue, dribbling of saliva, and if the 
swelling is great the tongue will be protruded from 
the mouth, which being open, gives the animal a 
peculiar a^Dpearance; the breathing is loud and 
rough, and the animal is unable to eat or drink and 
would soon die if not relieved. A horse presenting 
the above symptoms was brought to me in the 
morning and I used the following: Acetate of lead, 
one ounce, dissolved in half a gallon of water; I 
tied a piece of string to a soft sponge and wet it 
with the lotion and pressed it as far into the mouth 
as possible; I then withdrew^ it and in ten minutes 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 21 

repeated the operation, and so on until afternoon. 
The swelling had gone down so that the animal 
could drink some water and by the following morn- 
in^r the animal could eat soft food. I have used this 
treatment in several cases of the same kind with 
the best results. There is no danger of poisoning 
with the lead lotion, as the greater part of it will 
drop out. Lolling the tongue may be a habit or it 
may be caused by paralysis of the muscles of the 
tongue. If it is the former, it will only do it when 
the bit is in the mouth. If the latter, it will hang 
out all the time. In cases of paralysis give one 
dram of nux vomica and two drams of sulphate of 
iron at a dose in bran mash once a day, and con- 
tinue it for three weeks if necessary. There is no 
remedy for lolling the tongue when it is a habit. 

INJURIES TO THE MAXILLARY JOINT. 

This joint is situated in front of the ear where 
the lower jaw forms a joint with the temporal bone, 
and although well protected, it is liable to injuries 
from kicks or blows. When the part is hot and 
swollen it interferes with mastication, and is best 
treated by putting on a halter and tightening the 
nose band so that the animal cannot move its jaw. 
Then foment the part with hot water for half an 
hour three or four times daily and rub in well a lit- 
tle of the following liniment: Tincture of opium, 
two ounces; tincture of arnica, two ounces; tinc- 
ture of aconite, one ounce; water, half pint. Or, 
acetate of lead, half ounce; tincture of arnica, two 
ounces; water, one quart. Shake up well and ap- 



22 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ply a little three times a day. After the inflamma- 
tion has been reduced, apply a blister: of canthar- 
ides, two drams; lard, one and a half ounces, if 
necessary. 

Open Joint. — It sometimes happens that the 
wound penetrates the joint and allows the synovia 
to escape. This can be ascertained by the slippery, 
oily feeling it has between the fingers. Treatment 
— Reduce the inflammation by applying the above 
lotion and also using a blister of cantharides. 
Keep the jaws quiet by putting on the halter and a 
tight nose band. Feed the animal on oatmeal 
gruel, as it can suck this through its teeth while 
the nose band is on. 

Fractures of the Jaw. — The upper jaw is not sub- 
ject to this kind of injury, but the lower jaw is lia- 
ble to be fractured by kicks, falls and blows. Frac- 
ture of a portion of the jaw may result from the 
animaPs biting a hard substance. When the bone 
is broken a grating sound will be heard ; in young 
animals the jaw may be split in the center, as this 
bone is joined in front in the young by fibrocarti- 
lage, and in the adult it hardens into bone. The 
fracture may be a compound one, and the bone may 
be splintered and the skin and soft parts wound- 
ed. Symptoms. — Difficult mastication, sometimes 
slight bleeding, slavering, swelling, and a distinct 
grating of the ends of the broken bone. Treat- 
ment. — In longitudinal fractures of the chin, tie 
the parts firmly together by twisting wire around 
the central incisor teeth, so as to hold the bones 
together, and bathe the part scA^eral times daily 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 23 

with acetate of lead, half ounce; water, one quart. 

In fractures of the neck of the jaw, a piece of 
smooth wood should be placed in the hollow be- 
tw^een the jaw bones, and another piece placed on 
the outside of the fracture^l bone, then put a strong 
bandage around the jaws and put on the halter 
with the nose band buckled tight enough to keep 
the jaws from moving. If the part is swollen, 
bathe it several times a day with acetate of lead, 
half an ounce; w^ater, one quart. Keep up the ani- 
maPs strength by giving milk and oatmeal gruel, 
as much as it can suck through the mouth with the 
tight nose band on. In some cases the bone may 
be splintered. The loose pieces of bone will have 
to be removed and the wound left open so that it 
can be dressed. Use for this purpose, carbolic acid, 
one dram; acetate of lead, half an ounce; sulphate 
of zinc, half an ounce; water, one quart. 

Diseases of the Salivary Glands. — The secretions 
of saliva are very much decreased in all fevers, es- 
pecially the water, and as a result, the sick animal 
has a hot, clammy mouth. Some kinds of food, un- 
der certain conditions, will cause a great increase 
in the flow of saliva. This is noticed when a 
horse is turned into a pasture field which contains 
a good deal of white clover, when it is wet with 
dew or rain. Experiments made with the clover 
at the station did not yield any satisfactory results. 
If the animal is badly affected the flow of saliva 
can be arrested by injecting cold water into the 
mouth, or if the animal is taken to a stable and 
given a feed of dry oats, it will stop in an hour or 



24 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

two. Dilatation of the salivary duct is sometimes 
seen in the horse. The duct from the parotid 
gland sometimes gets closed up by a grain of oats 
or other grain getting into the mouth of the duct, 
which opens into the niouth at the third molar 
tooth. Symptoms of this is a swelling on the side 
of the cheek about half way between the nose and 
the eye; it is soft to the touch. Examine the in- 
side of the cheek, and if there is anything in the 
mouth of the duct remove it and pass a probe up it 
and the accumulated fluid will run out. Some- 
times by pressing gently on the enlarged duct to- 
wards the mouth it may force it out. I have suc- 
ceeded in removing it in this way. If all other 
means fail, open it with the knife and remove the 
cause, and bring the edges of the wound together 
by putting a pin through them and tying a thread 
around the pin, letting it remain in until it sloughs 
off. If any swelling should take place foment it 
with hot water and apply acetate of lead, half an 
ounce; tincture of arnica, two ounces; water, one 
quart. 

Salivary Fistula. — From accident an opening is 
made into the salivary duct and allows the saliva 
to run down the cheek, matting the hair as if gly- 
cerine had been rubbed on. Treatment. — Shave 
off the hair and put on strips of collodion or ad- 
hesive plaster three or four layers deep. Keep all 
solid food from the animal for at least twenty-four 
hours. Let the plaster remain on as long as it will, 
and if not stopped when it comes off, apply again. 
If this fails, rub on cantharides, two drams; lard, 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 25 

one and a half ounces; protect the wound by put- 
ting on a little lard. 

Ranula is a name given to a blocking up of the 
duct of the submaxillar}^ gland, which opens at 
each side of the tongue. We usually find a swell- 
ing about the size of a hen's egg at each side of the 
tongue. Tumors have been described as abscesses 
OF cysts; they are soft to the touch and may inter- 
fere with mastication Treatment. — Open them 
w^ith the knife and bathe the mouth with alum, one 
dram; water, half a pint. 

MUMPS (INFLAMMATION OF THE PAROTID GLAND). 

This is seen in both horses and cattle and is 
caused by being confined in close stables that are 
over-heated. The animal is seized with symptoms 
of sore throat, considerable fever with cough and 
difficult breathing, and in some cases it may pre- 
vent the animal from swallowing. It may affect 
one or both sides. It may lead to suppuration if 
not attended to early. Treatment. — Foment the 
parts with hot water three times a day or apply a 
hot linseed meal poultice. After the inflammation 
has been subdued, if there is any hard swelling ap- 
ply a mild blister of biniodide one part to twelve of 
vaseline. 

Choking. — This is an accident which is of com- 
mon occurrence in horses and cattle. A common 
cause in the horse is swallowing dry oats without 
chewing them. Some horses, when they are hun- 
gry, bolt their oats. I have also seen horses which 
have been kept on grass for a long time, bolt their 



26 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

oats when getting their first feed. I have been 
called up on several occasions when a horse had 
been turned out to grass without getting any oats, 
and on getting a feed would swallow them. The 
result would be choking from the dry oats sticking 
in the gullet. The treatment is to give a little oil, 
then rub the hand up and down the gullet to scat- 
ter the accumulation. It may be necessary to give 
a little oil several times and continue the rubbing, 
as it may take some time to overcome the choking. 
In case that no oil is at hand I have relieved cases 
by pouring down some water. Anything that will 
moisten the oats will assist. In cases when the 
animal cannot be relieved by this treatment, cut 
down on the gullet with the knife, making an inci- 
sion and removing the material. Clean the wound 
and bring the edges of the gullet together firmly 
with silk thread or catgut, letting the ends hangout 
of the external wound, then bring the edges of the 
skin together, then put a bandage around and keep 
it wet with cold water for twenty-four hours, and it 
will usually heal. Give the animal soft food. There 
are other causes of choking in the horse which are 
difficult to cure — foreign bodies, such as pieces of 
wood, a potato or piece of corn cob sticking in the 
throat. This form gives rise to very severe symp- 
toms. The animal arches its neck and tries to 
vomit, the back is also arched and saliva flows from 
the mouth, and if the animal is not soon relieved, 
inflammation of the throat takes place and the ani- 
mal dies from suffocation and exhaustion. It is 
necessary to put a twitch on the nose and a balling 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 27 

iron in the mouth to keep it open. If you have not 
a balling iron, the iron stirrup of the saddle will 
answer. Put this in the mouth to keep it open, 
then pass the hand through it and into the throat 
and feel for the offending body and remove it, if 
possible. If it is a potato or piece of cob it may 
be removed by giving a little oil, then pressing on 
the outside of the throat it may be pressed up and 
the animal cough it out. The horse probang can 
be used with success in some cases. 

Choking in Cattle. — This is usually caused by 
swallowing a potato, apple, piece of turnip or car- 
rot or a piece of corn cob. No matter what part of 
the gullet it is lodged in, it causes great distress. 
The animal coughs, saliva runs from the mouth, 
eyes bulge out, back arched, and bloating also 
takes place. If it is in the upper part of the gullet 
the animal soon dies from suffocation. If it is in 
the middle or lower part the animal may live for 
several days. If it is in the upper part of the 
throat use the same means as for the horse. If it 
cannot be removed in this waj , use the probang, 
which is made of spiral wire covered with leather, 
and will bend with the neck; there is also a gag 
to put in the mouth with a hole in the center 
through which the probang passes; oil the pro- 
bang and let one man take hold of the animals 
horns or ears while another passes the probang 
through a hole in the gag and back into the gul- 
let. Press gently until you feel the object, then by 
steady pressure it will pass into the stomach; too 
much force should not be used in case of rupturing 



28 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the gullet. If this means fails, cut down, as direct- 
ed above. No solid food should be given for a day 
after. 

Rupture of the Gullet. — This is caused by acci- 
dents during the passage of the probang, also by 
pressing whip handles and broom sticks. No un- 
yielding article should be pressed down the gullet, 
as it is almost sure to rupture it. I have known of 
a number of cases of death by parties using whip 
stocks with broom handles. If you have not a pro- 
bang (which every stockman should have — they 
can be gotten at any of the instrument makers for 
three or four dollars) take a piece of rope about 
three-fourths to one inch in diameter, frizz out a 
little of the end and tie a piece of string around it 
to form a soft knob, grease this well and it will sup- 
ply the place of a probang. 

Rupture of the gullet is nearly always fatal. In 
some cases cutting down on the part and paring 
the edges of the wound and bringing them to- 
gether as described, keeping down inflammation 
by cold-water bandages, and giving the animal 
gruel for food until it heals, is of use. 

Inflammation of the Gullet. — This is usually 
caused from choking or the use of the probang, also 
from giving too irritant medicine, not sufficiently 
diluted. A case of this kind came under my notice. 
A horse was suffering from colic, and a dose of med- 
icine was given which was not properly diluted, 
causing inflammation in the lower part of the gul- 
let and part of the stomach. When I was called 
to see the horse it was suffering considerable pain, 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 29 

with frequent attempts to vomit, and when the 
spasms were on, the animal suffered great distress. 
Pulse seventy per minute, respiration thirty per 
minute. From the histor^^ of the case, the animal 
could swallow all right at the beginning, and until 
it had had several doses of the medicine, and on the 
following morning- w^hen I was called in, the ani- 
mal could not swallow. In pouring down a little 
water, the gullet was seen to fill up and cause the 
animal great distress. I considered it a case of 
inflammation of the gullet, and treated the aiiimal 
by giving hypodermic injections of morphine, three 
grains at a dose, and the application of mustard 
to the lower part of the gullet. The horse died 
during the following night. Post-mortem exam- 
ination revealed inflammation of the lower part of 
the gullet and left half of the stomach. The gullet 
was so swollen that I could not introduce my finger 
into it by using considerable force. Cases of this 
kind are not often met with. The treatment for 
inflammation of the gullet is as follows: For cat- 
tle, Epsom salts, one and a half pounds; ground 
ginger, half ounce; water, half gallon, to be given 
at one dose. For the horse, aloes, one ounce; car- 
bonate of soda, half an ounce; ground ginger, half 
an ounce. Pour on half a pint of boiling water, 
then add one-half pint more of cold water, and give 
at one dose. The use of the physic in this case is 
to reduce the system, and thereby reduce inflam- 
mation. Follow this up with aconite, twenty to 
thirty drops in one-half pint of cold water, until 
the pulse is reduced in strength and number. To 



30 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

relieve the pain, opium should be given in dram 
doses every three or four hours in a little gruel. 
Hot fomentations should be applied along the gul- 
let, or mustard well rubbed in, the mustard to be 
made up with boilings water. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND GaTTlE. 21 



CHAPTER II. 

STOMACH OF THE HORSE. 

The stomach of the horse is very small for the 
size of its body, and usually empties itself in from 
four to five hours. After this, if the horse is not 
fed, it weakens very fast. The stomach is divided 
into two parts : the left half, which is lined with a 
prolongation of the lining of the gullet, and which 
does not secrete any gastric juice; the right half, 
which is lined with a velvety coat, which secretes 
the solvent juice. The former part is where the 
bots inhabit, as the exudation of the gastric juice, 
in the right half, would interfere with their com- 
fort. 

Life History of the Bot. — The bot fly deposits its 
nits or eggs on the horse^s legs, sides, flanks and 
under the chin. In a few days the eggs are 
hatched and the larva makes its way down the hair 
to the skin, which it irritates, causing the horse 
to bite or lick the part. In this way the young crea- 
ture gets into the horse's mouth and down to the 
stomach, and when they reach the left portion, ad- 
here to it by two small hooks; they have no mouth, 
and are fed by some of the digested food being ab- 
sorbed through their skin. In this way they grow 
until the following spring, when they release their 



32 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

hold and pass out of the stomach into the intes- 
tines and are carried out with the contents of the 
bowel. They usually lie quiet foi* an hour or so, 
then will crawl into some safe place, where they 
remain in the form of a chrysalis, the skin becom- 
ing shell-like. The further change in the chrysalis 
takes place about the eighteenth or nineteenth day, 
when the shell bursts and the fly comes out strong 
in wing and limb. The question is often asked, 
do bots do any harm to the horse? Veterinary 
surgeons are agreed on this, that they do not, un- 
less they are over-crowded and pushed to other 
parts of the stomach or intestines, where they may 
interfere with digestion. There are very few cases 
reported where the bot was the direct cause of 
death. The idea that bots eat the stomach is a 
mistake. As they have no mouths, this cannot be 
possible. I have been told by farmers that have 
opened a horse which had died from acute indiges- 
tion or inflammation, that they found on opening 
the stomach that the red lining had been eaten off 
the left half of the stomach by the bots. If they 
had known that the left half had no red lining they 
would not have charged the bots with eating it. 
There is no medicine that will kill bots that can 
be given to the horse without destroying the stom- 
ach. 

Impaction of the Stomach in the Horse. — This is 
a very coninion and very fatal derangement caused 
by the animal eating too much food; the result is 
<li.steutiun of the stomach, preventing it from con- 
tracting on its contents. The food swells and fer- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 33 

mentation takes place, causing rupture of the walls 
of the stomach, or the animal may die from exhaus- 
tion and suffocation, or from brain affection. In 
order to prevent this the horse should be fed at 
regular periods, at least five hours apart. A com- 
mon cause of this is a horse getting loose during 
the night and going to the oat or corn bin and gorg- 
ing itself. I have known a great many deaths 
from this cause. The oats or corn should not be 
kept where a horse can get at them if it should 
chance to rub off its halter or get loose during the 
night. A common cause of this is giving the horse 
a large feed because it is going to do a hard day's 
work or a long journey. When the horse comes 
in from a hard day's work or a long journey it 
should first have a little hay to eat, then water and 
then grain. If it gets its grain first^ while hungry 
and the stomach weak, it bolts it down and the 
stomach is not able to digest it, and the above re- 
sult takes place, but when a little hay is first given, 
the animal eats it more slowly and the stomach 
gains a little strength, thus preventing colic. 
Treatment for Indigestion: Give aloes, one 
ounce; carbonate of soda, one-half ounce; ground 
ginger, one-half ounce; dissolve this in half 
a pint of boiling water, then add half a 
pint more of cold water. To stimulate the stom- 
ach give half a pint of good whiskey in a little wa- 
ter or one dram of nux vomica rubbed up in hot 
wat:er; repeat this dose every three hours. If it 
is suffering much pain, give it two drams fluid ex- 
tract of belladonna every three hours, or four 



34 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

drams of chloride chloral hydrate dissolved in a 
pint of water, ever}' three or fonr honrs. If the 
l^hvsic does not operate in twenty-four hours, re- 
peat the dose. If the horse will drink w^ater, give 
it, as it may wash some of the contents out and 
thus relieve, experience proves that it is good prac- 
tice to do so. 

Dilatation of the Stomach Due to Bad Manage- 
ment in Horses. — If a horse is fed on bulky food 
given in great quantities, at all times, without reg- 
ular intervals, distention of the stomach takes 
place, which weakens its walls, preventing it from 
performing its functions of digesting the food, re- 
sulting in dyspepsia or colic. In order to prevent 
thiSj feed the horse at regular intervals and in 
small quantities : fourteen pounds of good hay and 
ten pounds of oats is sufficient for a horse in the 
twenty-four hours, whether used as a driving 
horse or for doing an ordinary day's work. When 
a horse is overworked, it requires more food, but 
this is done at the expense of the animal's health. 
I have taken notice in the spring of the year, when 
the farm horse has to work long hours and is fed 
six to ten quarts of oats at a feed, that I have been 
called to a great many cases of colic. It is poor 
econom}^ to overwork and overfeed the horse. 

CRIB-BITERS AND WIND-SUCKERS. 

This is a habit with some animals, and in others 
it is caused by a deranged condition of the diges- 
tive organs. A crib-biter seizes the manger or 
anything it can get hold of with its teeth, arches 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 35 

its neck, and makes a sound as if it was sucking 
air. A chronic ci'ib-biter can be easily known by 
its incisor teeth being worn. 

A wind-sucker extends its head or presses it 
against something solid, gathers its feet together, 
arches its neck and back, and draws in wind until 
its abdomen is greatly distended. Wind-sucking 
is the worst of the tAVO evils. To prevent this it is 
best to put a muzzle on the horse when not feed- 
ing. Straps with sharp nails in them, which some 
use, can be bought at the harnessmaker's; but I 
do not recommend them. In the early stage of the 
disorder it is best combatted by giving the horse a 
physic, having a piece of rock salt in its manger, 
feeding on good food, and giving it regular work. 

DYSPEPSIA. 

The Causes of Dyspepsia in Horses and Cattle. — 
Giving too much food at rare intervals, or starving 
an animal for some time, and then allowing coarse 
food in large quantities or indigestible foods. I 
have seen a great many cases of this kind, espe- 
cially in the poor man's horse. When a horse is 
fed oats on an empty stomach, it usually eats hur- 
riedly, cramming its stomach with imperfectly 
masticated oats. To prevent this, give the horse 
a small quantity of hay first, then water, and then 
oats. A horse should be allowed half an hour 
after being fed before put to fast work, as this is 
a cause of dyspepsia. 

Sj'Uiptoms. — Staring coat, dullness at work, 
emaciation, with tucked-up belly, frequent dis- 



36 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

charges of foul-smelling gas, constipation or loose- 
ness, and the presence of half masticated or indi- 
gested food in the dung, and they are often 
troubled with belly-aches, and worms may be 
passed. In cattle, especially in the cow, do w^e 
find cases of dyspepsia. The appetite is impaired, 
and there is a desire to pick up and swallow dirt, 
sand, lime, etc. The milk is scanty and of poor 
quality, and the animal becomes thin, dry-haired 
and lousy. There may be either diarrhea or con- 
stipation. In some cases the animal does not 
chew its cud, and there is more or less fever indi- 
cated by a dry nose. 

Treatment. — Eegulate the diet. Give a dose of 
raw linseed oil, from one and one-half pints to one 
quart at a dose for the horse. For the cow, one 
pound of Epsom salts and one ounce of ground gin- 
ger, dissolved in half a gallon of cold water and 
gi V' en at one dose. After the physic has operated, 
both in the horse and cow, boil a teacup of linseed 
into a pulp with a gallon or two of water, and 
while hot, pour it over half a pail of bran and make 
a mash of it, and when cool, put in one of the fol- 
lowing powders: Sulphate of iron, four ounces; 
nitrate of potass., four ounces; divided into 
twenty- four doses. Give daily, and continue for 
several weeks if necessary. If the animals are 
lousy, see chapter on lice. 

GASTRITIS (INFLAMATION OF THE STOMACH). 

This is not a common disease, either of horses or 
cattle, and when it does occur, it is usually caused 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 37 

by too irritating substances, such as giving strong 
medicines, without having sufficient water or oil 
to dilute them. Also from poisons. Symptoms. 
— They consist of nausea, and vomiting, in the ani- 
mals that can vomit; they are speedily followed 
by violent colic. The horse looks around at its 
sides, and will not stand quiet for a moment, paws 
with its fore feet, crouches, lies down, and rolls, 
gets up, and goes through the same thing. When 
he turns his nose around it is always to the side 
behind the shoulder. The pulse is quick, and al- 
though strong at first, it soon becomes weak and 
fast, from eighty to one hundred per minute. The 
ears and legs are cold, and cold sweat may break 
out all over the body. As the disease advances 
the pulse becomes very irregular and the animal 
appears stupid ; the pupils of the eyes are dilated, 
and the animal may become paralyzed or may die 
with convulsive fits, suffering intense pain, 
through the whole course of the disease. Treat- 
ment. — It is necessary to find out the cause. If it 
is from giving ammonia in too concentrated a form, 
give vinegar. If from turpentine, give opium and 
oil. If from any of the potassiums, give oil. In 
all cases give powdered opium in one to two dram 
doses every tw^o hours until relieved or death ends 
the same. If the animal recovers, it will be neces- 
sary to feed it on soft, easily digested food, such as 
boiled flaxseed and ground oats in small quanti- 
ties for a week. Give all the cold water it will 
drink. 



38 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

THE STOMACHS OF THE OX. 

The first stomach is called the rumen; it lies on 
the left side and occupies about three-fourths of 
the abdominal cavity. It is made up of three 
coats. The external one is composed of two sets 
of strong muscular tissue, one set longitudinal 
and the other set circular. Besides these there 
are two strong bands of elastic tissue, one running 
lengthwise and the other across. The part of the 
inside of the stomach where these bands are is 
smooth and white. The use of these bands is to 
strengthen and assist in the contraction of the or- 
gan. The use of the muscular coat having its 
fibres running in the tw^o directions is to contract 
the stomach both in its length and breadth. The 
inside coat or lining is rough, although soft to the 
touch, and has a few glands scattered over it, se- 
creting a small quantit}^ of mucous, which assists 
in softening the food. 

USE OF THIS STOMACH. 

Cattle collect their food in haste, only partially 
breaking it down by a few strokes of the molar 
teeth, and store it in the rumen for some time to 
soften and undergo chemical process by the saliva 
acting on it. It is then forced up the gullet in 
small billets by the contracting action of its 
walls, to be rechewed or Jbecome what is called the 
cud. It is then thoroughly masticated and mixed 
with the saliva and passes down the gulle,t to the 
third stomach. This goes on until the rumen is 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 39 

nearly empty. Anything which deranges this 
stomach seriously interferes with digestion and 
the health of the animal. 

The second stomach is a small honey-comb bag 
situated at the anterior part of the rumen. Its 
use is not well understood. 

The third stomach, called the omasum or many- 
plies, lies on the right side of the rumen, to which 
it is attached. It is small and divided by twelve 
leaves, which pass right through from end to end. 
There are also a number of short ones which are 
attached to the others on one edge. There are 
about sixty in all. These leaves or manyplies are 
lined Avith a thin membrane, w^hich secretes a fluid 
which assists in digestion. After the death of the 
animal this coat often adheres to the food between 
the leaves. The food in this stomach is usually 
dry, or partially so, and it is supposed that the 
liquid portion is squeezed on into the fourth 
stomach, and that some of the dry, indigestible 
portion drops back into the rumen to go through 
the softening process and be recudded. This 
stomach is capable of considerable distention, 
which is often the case by the accumulating of in- 
digestible, innutritions food, which may cause 
paralysis of its walls. 

The fourth stomach is the true digestive one and 
is called abomasum, or rennet. This stomach is 
seldom deranged. More cattle die from derange- 
ment of the first and third stomachs than all other 
diseases to which cattle are heir. 



40 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

DISEASES OF THE FIRST STOMACH IN CATTLE. 

Tympanitis Hoven, or Swelling With Gas. — 
Causes of this disorder are numerous, eating damp 
grass, the soft, succulent grass of early spring, 
and the second crop of clover in the autumn when 
it is wet with dew or rain. Sometimes a change 
of food, such as a small quantit^^ of ground oats, 
peas or corn, will cause severe bloating. It is also 
caused from over-filling of the paunch with indi- 
gestible food of any kind, and this is the most 
troublesome to get rid of. This disorder often 
takes place from disease of other parts of the body, 
such as impaction of the third stomach or consti- 
pation of the bowels. Symptoms: During the 
time the animal is eating, or shorth' after, a swell- 
ing appears on the left side, and as it increases the 
animal appears to be in distress, pants, strikes its 
belly with its hind foot, eructations of gas are no- 
ticed; the animal does not chew its cud. As the 
trouble goes on the breathing becomes more diffi- 
cult; the animal moans, the back is arched, the 
eyes are protruded, the tongue hangs out, saliva 
dribbles from the mouth. At this stage of the dis- 
ease, if the animal is not relieved, it will die from 
suffocation, the contents of the abdomen pressing 
against the lungs in such a way that the animal 
cannot breathe: Treatment: When any signs of 
swelling take place the animal should be pre- 
vented from eating any more. If no medicine is at 
hand, cold water should be thrown over the back 
and loins. This sometimes causes the rumen to 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



41 



contract, expelling the gas. A handful of com- 
mon salt dissolved in a quart of water is also use- 
ful. Aromatic spirits of ammonia in two ounce 
doses in a pint of cold water and repeated in half 
an hour is the best remedy. The liquor ammonia 
in two ounce doses put into one quart of cold water 




PLATE 1. THE SEAT OF PUNCTURE OF THE RUMEN, (a) 



or carbonate of ammonia given in half ounce doses 
dissolved in a quart of cold water, and repeated in 
half an hour if necessary, is useful. If time will 
allow, one and one-half pounds of Epsom salts dis- 
solved in half a gallon of water and given at one 
dose is a good remedy. In cases when time will 
not admit of treatment, tapping should be resorted 
to at once. (Plate 1.) This is a simple operation. 
Take the highest part about a hand's breadth in 
front of the hip bone on the left side, and about 



42 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the same distance from the short ribs. It is not 
particular for an inch or so. When the animal is 
greatly distended plunge the knife in and make a 
hole large enough to admit the finger, which 
should be put into the opening as soon as the knife 
is withdrawn, and the gas will rush out at the side 
of the finger. It is necessary to do this because 
when some of the gas comes out, the opening in 
the skin will not be opposite to the opening in the 
paunch and the gas will not escape. The best in- 
strument is the trocar and canula, which every 
stockman should have. In using this instrument, 
the skin should be cut with a knife, then the trocar 
and canula pressed into the rumen, then the trocar 
is drawn out, leaving the canula in, when the gas 
will escape through it. If it is necessary to use it 
a second time in the same animal a new opening 
ought to be made. No after treatment of the 
wound is necessary. 

CHRONIC HOVEN (TYMPANITIS). 

Some cows are predisposed to indigestion, re- 
sulting in the formation of gas in the rumen, and 
although not severe enough to call for tapping, in- 
terferes with the animal's comfort and health. 
Symptoms. — The animal is generally distended 
with gas soon after eating; the cow grunts and 
does not chew its cud; the hair becomes dry and 
stands on end, and by degrees it becomes thin; 
and, if giving milk, it is soon reduced in quality 
and quantity. The bowels may be constipated or 
a form of diarrhoea may set in. Treatment : Regu- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 43 

late the diet. Give good, nutritious food in small 
quantities and often. It may be necessary to give 
a dose of Epsom salts one to one and one-half 
pounds and one ounce ground ginger dissolved in 
one-half gallon of cold water. This to be followed 
by sulphate of iron four ounces, nux vomica two 
ounces, divided into twenty-four doses, one to be 
given morning and night in bran mash. Boiled 
flaxseed is also good. 

IMPACTION OF THE RUMEN. 

Causes. — Some kinds of food are more liable to 
produce this disorder than others, grain of any 
kind in too large quantities, chaff, potatoes, and 
coarse grass. When the quantity is too great it 
causes distention of the rumen so that its walls 
become paralyzed. Symptoms. — The animal ap- 
pears dull and suffers more or less pain. The left 
side is swollen, and when pressed by the hand has 
a doughy feel and pits on pressure, and when the 
animal lies down it does so on its right side. The 
breathing is increased and the pulse is small and 
may number sixty to eighty per minute. The ani- 
mal grinds its teeth, the nose is dry and the back 
is arched. Fermentation may set in, causing 
greater distention, which aggravates the above 
symptoms. Inflammation may set in and, in ad- 
dition to the above, the animal will manifest pain 
when the left side is pressed. Treatment. — Re- 
move some of the impacted food, or if gas is formed 
remove it. The probang must be pressed down to 



44 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

allow the escape of gas or the trocar and canula 
used as for tympanitis. Cases have been cured 
by throwing cold water over the back and loins. 
If the distention is not too great, give a dose of 
Epsom salts and ginger; pressing and rubbing the 
rumen is sometimes successful, but if these meth- 
ods fail it will be necessary before the animal is 
exhausted or the brain becomes congested to make 
a large opening in the rumen and remoye a part of 
the contents with the hand. Place the animal 
with its right side against a wall and let an as- 
sistant hold it by the nose, at a point midway be- 
tween the last rib and haunch bone and about a 
span from the backbone. 

Make an opening from this point downward 
large enough to admit the hand; the edges of the 
wound should be stitched together to preyent food 
getting in between the skin and the walls of the 
rumen; then Avith the hand remoye the greater 
part of the mass. It is best to leaye a little to 
stimulate it. Then stitch up the walls of the ru- 
men, first with carbolized catgut, care being taken 
that the edges are inyerted. The wound of the 
muscles and skin then being stitched up, cold 
water dressing should be applied and the animal 
giyen stimulants. Tincture of ginger one ounce, 
tincture of gentian one ounce, tincture of iron one 
ounce, mix and giye in a quart of oatmeal gruel. 
Giye two such doses daily until the animal is well. 
I haye operated on three cows with success; one 
from an oyerdose of cabbage leayes, one from rye 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 45 

and the other from corn. In the last case I re- 
moved two bushels of corn and left about one in 
the rumen. 

There is very often an accumulation of various 
kinds found in the second stomach of cattle, such 
as hair balls, from licking each other, needles, 
pins, knifes, nails, etc. Nothing can be done to 
remove these; in fact it is only after death that 
they are found. 

Impaction of the Third Stomach (sometimes 
called Dry Murrain). — The third stomach of cattle 
is composed of a number of leaves, some sixty in 
number; between these leaves food passes on to 
the fourth stomach, which is the true digestive 
one, and what is meant by impaction is dry, indi- 
gestible grasses or other foods which lodge be- 
tween the leaves, causing either stoppage or in- 
flammation, and very often causing death, as it 
seems to be very difficult to get medicine to act on 
this stomach. In the fall and spring this disease 
is most common, caused by the animal eating the 
tough frozen grasses, over-ripe hay, and bed straw. 
I have seen this disease destroy calves which Avere 
fed on timothy hay with no soft food and little ex- 
ercise. Symptoms: The animal refuses food, if 
the cow is giving milk it will be partly or wholly 
arrested, the animal does not chew its cud, the 
nose is dry, and, if made to move, it will moan or 
grunt; the bowels at first are constipated, what is 
passed will be dry, hard and glazed; the back is 
arched and the left side may be somewhat swollen. 
As the disease advances the eyes stare and are par- 



46 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tially insensible to light, and the muscles trem- 
ble; or the animal may stagger, the grunt is now 
constant, the pulse, which was not much affected 
at first, is now rapid and weak, eighty to one hun- 
dred per minute. In some cases the brain be- 
comes affected in the early stage and the animal 
becomes frantic and runs wildly about; the vision 
seems to be impaired or there is total blindness, as 
the animal will stumble over anything that comes 
in its way, dashing its head against trees, fences, 
or human beings. I have seen some animals tear- 
ing up the ground with their horns and bellowing 
in a violent manner. Some cases are affected with 
stupor, staggering gait, or even partial paralysis. 
The nature of this derangement is not an inflam- 
mation of the brain, but a sympathetic delirium 
caused from an over-distended stomach. This dis- 
ease is what is called "mad itch." It seems to be 
more prevalent some years than others, and was 
thought to be caused by eating corn stalks; but 
we find it in animals that never had any. The 
urine is sometimes mixed with blood. If the ani- 
mal is not relieved it may die in a few days or live 
for two weeks. Very often a foetid diarrhoea sets 
in before death. Treatment: Give one quart of 
raw linseed oil with two drams of fluid extract of 
belladonna in it at a dose; follow this with one 
pound of Epsom salts, one and a half drams of qui- 
nine, dissolved in half a gallon of cold water and 
given at one dose. If the animal is in great dis- 
tress, give one dram of belladonna fluid extract in 
half a pint of raw linsc^ed oil every four hours. If 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 47 

the physic does not operate in twentj-fonr hours, 
repeat the salts and quinine. Injections of soap 
and warm water are useful. Aloes in one ounce 
doses mixed with one pound of Epsom salts have 
been found useful, also thirt}^ tOv forty drops of 
croton oil given in a little linseed oil, but I have 
had most success with the former. The animal 
should be given all the cold water it can drink. 
As soon as the animal is noticed ailing, it should 
be treated. If this disease is allowed to go on for 
a few days, medicine is of very little use, as the 
secretions are arrested. 

Inflammation of the fourth stomach (ab- 
omasum) is not common in cattle. It is 
caused by poisons or some irritating sub- 
stance the animal has eaten. The symptoms 
are so much like impaction of the third stomach 
that it is difficult to tell the one from the other. 
The cases of inflammation of the fourth stomach 
which I have seen show more signs of pain and 
very full, fast pulse, and more acute fever. (Youatt 
mentions a curious stretching out of the fore limbs 
with the brisket almost to the ground.) Post- 
mortem: Lesions comprise congestion, redness, 
with flakes of mucous, and sometimes blood, 
mixed with the contents of the stomach. A por- 
tion of the small intestines is usually involved. 
Treatment: Remove the cause if possible. If 
from poison, give an antidote; for instance, if the 
poison is an alkali, give an acid, and if an acid give 
an alkali; to reduce the inflammation, give linseed 



48 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tea and dram doses of opium every two hours. If 
the animal is in a weak condition, give aromatic 
spirits of ammonia, two ounces at a dose in a pint 
of cold water. Aconite, in doses of thirty drops 
combined with the opium is also useful. Give all 
the cold water the animal will drink. 

Cattle sometimes suffer from indigestion, that 
is, the stomach or stomachs get into a weakened 
or deranged state; the animal may not be actually 
sick, but it is in an unthrifty condition, the milk is 
of poor qualit}^, and little of it. When the cow 
gets into this condition, all the secretions are more 
or less arrested, and with them the secretions of 
milk. I have seen a number of cases of this kind. 
Symptoms: The animal may eat its food at times, 
and at others it will eat only part of it. The hair 
becomes dry, and the back arched a little, and 
the skin is tight on the ribs, the eyes become 
sunken, and the animal will grind its teeth, and 
seem to be in pain at times. The bowels are 
usually constipated, and in some cases there is 
diarrhoea. There is ver}^ little fever. An animal 
found in this condition, with the absence of other 
diseases, may be safely said to have indigestion. 
Treatment : Give at one dose, from one to one and 
one-half pounds Epsom salts, one ounce ground 
ginger, dissolved in half a gallon of cold water, 
and follow this by giving a teacupful of linseed, 
boiled into a pulp, with two gallons of water, and, 
while hot, pour into half a pail of bran and make 
a mash of it. Give a mash of this kind once a day, 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 49 

and continue it for a few weeks. Also, give one 
ounce tincture of ginger, one ounce tincture of 
gentian, and one ounce tincture of iron, in a pint 
of water, twice daily. 



50 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER III. 

INTESTINES. 

The intestines of the horse are some ninety feet 
in length, seventy feet of small intestines, and 
twenty feet of large. The intestines of the horse 
are very vascular, that is, they are largely supplied 
with blood and nerves, much more so than in the 
ox, and, I think, this accounts to a certain extent 
for the frequent attacks of colic and inflammation 
of the bowels in this animal, as compared with the 
ox. The large intestines are very much con- 
tracted in several places, and it is on this account 
that we have so often imi)action. The dilated 
part gets so filled up with indigestible food that it 
cannot pass through the contracted parts, setting 
up inflammation and often causing death. 

COLIC. 

There is no more frequent and fatal disease in 
the horse than that known as colic It takes on 
three forms — spasmodic colic, flatulent colic, and 
dyspeptic colic. 

Spasmodic Colic. — The causes are many. Irreg- 
ular feeding and overwork, thus a horse gets an 
overfeed in order to make it stand a long drive or a 
hard day's work. The hard work takes the blood 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 51 

from the stomach and intestines, and as a result, 
digestion is interfered with, the mass undergoes 
fermentation, causing pain or cramps. Overfeed- 
ing loads the intestines, often resulting in spasms. 
A change of food, as changing from old hay to new, 
or from old oats to new and also green food, large 
quantities of cold water on an exhausted stomach, 
exposure to cold, anything which irritates the 
nerves of the intestines, will sometimes cause 
spasms, thus we often have spasmodic colic with- 
out any apparent cause. Symptoms: The horse 
paws with his fore feet, crouches, shifts about, 
looks around at its side, lies down, rolls on his back, 
gets up and shakes himself, stands quiet for a few 
seconds or minutes, then goes through the same 
performance. When the cramps are very severe 
he wiir throw himself down, no matter where he 
may be, sweat breaks out over the body, the breath- 
ing becomes fast and heavy, the eyes are promi- 
nent and staring, there is an expression of anguish ; 
there is a pause for a few minutes, but the symp- 
toms soon return and are often aggravated, but by 
degrees the attacks are fewer and farther between, 
and the animal recovers. In other eases the pulse, 
which was at first not much affected, now* becomes 
fast and weak, from eighty to one hundred; the 
brain becomes deranged and it tosses to and fro, 
the belly becomes tense, the legs cold, and a cold 
sweat breaks out, the legs tremble, the lips are re- 
tracted, and the horse dies. The principal symp- 
toms which denote that it is spasmodic colic are 
the intervals of relief from pain. Treatment. — 



52 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

First: Give, two ounces of tincture of opium, two 
ounces spirits of nitric ether, in half a pint of cold 
water at a dose; repeat in half an hour if not im- 
proved. Second: Sulphuric ether, two ounces; 
tincture of opium, two ounces; water, half a pint; 
repeat every half hour until improved. Third: 
Tincture of asafetida, two ounces; aromatic spirits 
of ammonia, one ounce; water, half pint. Fourth: 
Chloroform, one-half to one ounce, given in one- 
half pint of oil ; reiDcat in half an hour. If none of 
these are obtainable, give two tablespoonfuls of 
ground ginger or carbonate of soda in a pint of hot 
water. Injections of soap and warm water are 
very useful. The animal should have a place where 
it can roll about and some one to watch it, but 
should never be driven, as I have known cases that 
have died from being driven while having colic. 
Horses that are subject to colic should be fed spar- 
ingly on easily digested food, and at least one hour 
should elapse before put to work after feeding. 

Flatulent Colic — Bloating. — The causes are sim- 
ilar to those causing spasmodic colic. Large quan- 
tities of food when the animal is in an exhausted 
state, especially a large quantity of green grass, 
when the animal is not accustomed to it. In mak- 
ing this change it should be very gradual. Horses 
that are subject to indigestion are liable to wind- 
colic, from the indigested food undergoing fer- 
mentation, producing gas. Symptoms of Flatulent 
Colic : The horse is dull, paws with his fore feet, is 
restless, but at first may not lie down ; the sides are 
distended, and when struck by the hand, a drum- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 53 

like sound is heard. As the distention increases, 
the horse looks around at its flanks, lies down, rolls, 
gets up and down again; there is no easy spell as 
in spasmodic colic. If not relieved, the distention 
becomes so great that it presses against the lungs, 
and causes great difficult}^ in breathing, and the 
animal may die of suffocation in a few minutes, or 
from rupture of the gut. Treatment: The best 
remedy is aromatic spirits of ammonia, in two- 
ounce doses in a pint of cold water, and repeated in 
half an hour. Clean out the bowels by injections 
of soap and water, then inject two ounces of spirits 
of turpentine mixed in half a pint of linseed or any 
other oil. If oil is not obtainable, mix the turpen- 
tine in a pint of milk. Repeat the injection of tur- 
pentine and oil every twenty minutes until the ani- 
mal is relieved. If ammonia is not on hand, give 
baking soda, two to three tablespoonfuls, and 
ground ginger, two tablespoonfuls, in a quart of 
hot water. From one-half pint to one pint of whis- 
key can be given in half a pint of hot water. Tinc- 
ture of asafetida in two-ounce doses in half a pint 
of water is useful Also injections of from two to 
four ounces tincture of asafetida mixed in milk are 
very good. Also give a quart of raw linseed oil 
as a physic. In severe cases the bowel should be 
punctured in the most prominent part. Plate 2. 
The instrument is a small trocar and canula. The 
skin is cut with a knife, then the trocar and canula 
are pushed into the bowel in a direction inward and 
downward. The trocar is pulled out and the gas 
will escape through the canula. There is little 



54 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 




DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 55 

danger in this operation, only it should be done be- 
fore the animal is too far gone. The right side is 
preferred to the left, as we reach the colon easier 
on the right side. 

IMPACTION OP THE LARGE INTESTINES. 

This derangement is most common in the fall 
and spring, but is frequently seen at other times. 
It is usually caused by horses and colts eating dry, 
indigestible grasses in the autumn and spring 
months, and from eating old, dry, hard hay, when 
largely fed on it; deficient secretions in the large 
intestines, and not sufficient water. The indigesti- 
ble mass may not dry, still from being packed to- 
gether it cannot pass on through the contracted 
portion, and as a result, it sets up irritatiqn and 
inflammation, and if not relieved the animal dies. 
Symptoms of Impaction: The pain is slight at first, 
the horse shows signs of belly-ache, but it may soon 
pass off, to return in a few hours; the feces are 
passed frequently at first, but soon none is passed. 
The abdomen is full, but not with gas. After a 
time the pain becomes more severe, the horse paws, 
looks around at its flank, lies down on its side with 
its legs outstretched, and may lie in this position 
quieth' for ten or fifteen minutes, get up and lie 
down in the same way. It seems to be fairly easy 
in this position. This may continue for a day or 
two, but inflammation soon sets in; then the pain 
becomes continuous, the animal breathes fast, and 
the pulse, which was not much affected in the early 
stage, now becomes fast and it may be weak, and 



56 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the animal dies. Treatment: Give aloes, one 
ounce; carbonate of soda, one ounce; ground 
ginger, one ounce; powdered nux vomica, one 
dram. Dissolve this in half a pint of boiling 
water, then add half a pint more of cold water, 
and give at one dose; or give one quart of 
raw linseed oil, ten drops of croton oil, and one 
dram of nux vomica at a dose. If there is much 
pain, give from one to two drams of the fluid ex- 
tract of belladonna, in half a pint of raw linseed 
oil, every two hours. If the ph^^sic does not op- 
erate in fifteen or twenty-four hours, repeat the 
dose. The action of the physic may be assisted by 
giving injections of soap and water every half hour 
at first, and if no action, give injections of two 
ounces of turpentine in half a pint of oil every hour. 
Allow the horse as much chilled water as it will 
drink. Kneading the belly and walking exercise 
are useful before the pain is severe; after that, 
keep the animal as quiet as possible. If thi? 
physic and other treatment are begun early, 
the animal usually recovers. I have made ex- 
aminations of animals which have died from 
impaction, and found three and four feet of the 
colon impacted with a mass of tough, half-mas- 
ticated grass, which no medicine could remove. 
Ct>nstipation may occur in animals which are fed 
for a long time dry, innutritions food, and a dry 
condition of the bowels. If the case is not se- 
vere, change of diet, such as bran mash and boiled 
flaxseed, is all that is required, but if there is colic, 
give from a pint to a quart of raAV linseed oil, with 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 57 

from one to two drams of the fluid extract of bella- 
donna in it. Injections of warm water and soap 
are very useful. Give the animal regular exercise. 
Constipation in foals will be treated in the chap- 
ter, "How to Take Care of the Foal." 

Indigestible colic is caused by eating straw and 
corn stalks ; pea straw is notorious for causing it, 
also bad teeth and want of sufficient water and 
exercise. Symptoms: The horse shows signs of 
colicky pains by pawing with its fore foot; it will 
lie down and keep down for hours, as it seems to 
be easy in this posture. If the animal is made to 
rise, it will go to the manger and begin to eat, and 
may continue doing so for some time, occasionally 
looking around its side, switching its tail, and kick- 
ing with one hind leg. Sooner or later it lies down 
and remains down for some time, unless made to 
rise. The breathing and the pulse remain normal. 
The horse may remain in this condition for several 
days, and may get well; or it may become a very 
severe case of colic. Treatment: Give aloes, one 
ounce; soda carbonate, one ounce; ground ginger, 
one ounce. Dissolve this in half a pint of boiling 
water, then add half a pint more of cold water, and 
give at one dose. One to two drams of the fluid 
extract of belladonna can be given instead of the 
aloes. Injections of soap and water should be 
given several times daily until the physic operates. 
Feed good hay and oats in small quantities and 
give regular exercise. 

Intestinal Concretions. — There are concretions 
sometimes found in the stomach and large intes- 



58 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tines of horses and cattle, composed mostly of veg- 
etable and mineral matter, and hair balls. The 
symptoms of these are those of colic and constipa- 
tion, and are only found on post-mortem examina- 
tions. The treatment is the same as for constipa- 
tion. 

Intussusception, or invagination, is the slipping 
of one portion of the intestine into another. This 
occurs most often in the small gut. There are no 
symptoms by which we can be sure that such a 
thing exists, as the symptoms are those of severe 
colic or inflammation of the bowels. 

Volvulus, or gut-tie, or twisting of the bowels, is 
an accident which happens to horses from violent 
straining, and is sometimes caused by spasmodic 
colic. It is only after death, when an examination 
is made, that we discover the twist. The symp- 
toms are those of severe colic, and medicine does 
not relieve the animaPs suffering. From that we 
conclude that some lesion of the bowels has taken 
place. 

ENTERITIS (INFLAMMATION OF THE BOWELS). 

This disease may affect the mucous membrane, 
or the walls of the bowels may be all involved. The 
cause of inflammation of the bowels is often ob- 
scure, although I have seen a number of cases of 
true enteritis, where a large portion of both large 
and small intestines were affected, and could find 
no cause. Irritating medicine and poisons will pro- 
duce it. Obstructions in the bowels will also cause 
a portion of them to become inflamed. It is said that 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 59 

spasmodic colic will sometimes terminate in inflam- 
mation, from giving cold water when the animal is 
hot and exhausted, or from feeding musty hay 
and oats or any kind of bad food. Symptoms : It 
usually comes on gradually. I have known cases 
in which the horse was only thought to be off for a 
few days, and no bad result suspected. If the ani- 
mal is examined carefully from the beginning, it 
will be found that both the pulse and the tempera- 
ture will be increased, which is not the case in 
colic. The membrane of the mouth and nose are 
congested, and are of a dark red color, the mouth 
is hot and dry and the breathing is increased, the 
colicky pains are continuous, the animal walks 
around or lies down very carefully, turns on his 
back against the side of the stall, and remains in 
this position for a few minutes, but will not be 
still, as it will keep its head on the move and there 
is an expression of anguish. As the disease goes 
on, the pulse becomes very fast, eighty to one hun- 
dred per minute; temperature one hundred and 
five to one hundred and six. The animal pants 
and moans, and sweat breaks out all over the body. 
The animal is continually on the move, not a mo- 
ment of relief. The bowels may be constipated or 
diarrhoea may be present. After a while the walls 
of the belly become tucked up, and hard and tender 
tothetouch,the back is arched, the ears lopped and 
cold, champing of the jaws from pain. The animal 
now walks around its stall stiffly, may stagger or 
may stand and tremble violently and then fall to 
the ground and die with a few convulsive strug- 



60 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

gles. Fever and a continual pain, with great rest- 
lessness and an anxious expression from beginning 
to end, will enable us to form a correct opinion be- 
tween inflammation of the bowels and spasmodic 
colic. Treatment: Give powdered opium, two 
drams; tincture of aconite root, twenty to thirty 
drops, every two or three hours in a little gruel. 
Calomel in one dram doses twice a day is useful. 
Injections of simple hot water may be tried, but if 
it increases the pain, it should not be persevered 
with. Blankets wrung out of boiling water and ap- 
plied to the sides are useful, if well done; but on 
account of the restlessness of the animal this can- 
not be done with satisfaction. Mustard applied to 
the belly is better. 

Diarrhoea is caused by animals eating mushy 
food and grasses on low, marshy lands, too much 
green food when the animal is not used to it, driv- 
ing after eating a large quantity of soft food, 
drinking bad water, and from a deranged condi- 
tion of some other organs of the body. Diarrhoea 
is often an effort to rid the system of some dele- 
terious substance from the body. Symptoms: 
The frequent evacuations of liquid faeces. In some 
cases there is pain and in others it is absent. If 
it is continuous for some time, there will be loss of 
appetite and emaciation. The discharge varies 
very much; sometimes the animal will pass enor- 
mous quantities of very liquid faeces; and in a 
case of this kind, it requires to be stopped as soon 
as possible or it will soon exhaust the animal by 
removing too much liquid from the system, On 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 61 

the other hand, if it is not severe, more time can be 
given. Treatment: Find the cause, if possible. 
If it is from faulty food or water, change these and 
little more is needed. If from a change of food or 
indigestible food, give one and one-half pints to 
one quart of raw linseed oil and two drams of the 
fluid extract of belladonna in it at one dose. After 
this has operated, if it does not stop, give one dram 
powdered opium, one dram camphor, made into a 
ball. Repeat in four hours if necessary. Or give 
powdered opium one dram, powdered catechu two 
drams, made into a ball or put in a quart of starch 
gruel; or give one dram opium and a tablespoon- 
ful of chalk in starch gruel. Sometimes ginger, 
gentian, and chalk, a tablespoonful of each, given 
in a quart of starch gruel, every three hours, will 
stop it. If the discharge is of the severe kind and 
very watery, give two drams of powdered opium 
and one dram of acetate of lead in a ball or in 
starch gruel, and repeat every two hours until it 
stops; feed on good oats and hay, in small quan- 
tities for a few days. This treatment is for cattle 
as well as horses. 

Dysentery may be of two kinds; what is 
called bloody flux, when there is considera- 
ble blood mixed with the faeces. This form is ac- 
companied by ulceration and is the most danger- 
ous. The other form is a discharge of mucous 
with the faeces, accompanied by great straining. 
Causes: Inflammation of the mucous membrane 
of the bowels often resulting in dysentery, espe- 
cially in cattle; exposure to cold, coarse, innutri- 



62 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tious food and debilitating influences, which act 
slowly; such as scrofula and other blood diseases. 
Symptoms: It may be acute or chronic. In the 
acute cases there is fever, with slight abdominal 
pains. The animal stands with arched back, 
straining and passing small quantities of thin 
faeces, tinged with blood or mucous. In some 
cases strings or shreds of the mucous lining of the 
bowels may be passed, several inches in length. 
I remember being called to a case of this kind in 
a horse in which the owner thought the horse was 
passing i3artly decayed worms, which he consid- 
ered were the cause of the horse's ailment, but 
which I found to be strings of the mucous mem- 
brane. As the disease advances the patient be- 
comes emaciated, the pulse is fast and weak, the 
temperature rises, the appetite may in some cases 
remain fair, but usually it is impaired. The ani- 
mal becomes hide-bound, and often the legs will 
swell. There is a very foul smell, and if ulcera- 
tion has set in there will be considerable blood 
of a dark or nearly black color. The eyes become 
sunken, the rectum is protruded and red and sore, 
and if the animal is not soon relieved will die from 
exhaustion, although an animal may live in this 
condition for several weeks. Treatment is con- 
sidered very unsatisfactory, although if attended 
to at once, I have had good results. First give at 
one dose a pint and one-half of raw linseed oil and 
tincture of opium two ounces; follow this up with 
turpentine one ounce, tincture of chloride of iron 
one ounce, boiled flaxseed one quart; mix and give 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 63 

at one dose. Give a dose of this kind three times 
a day. Clean out the bowels with warm water 
injections, then inject the following three times a 
day: Acetate of lead two drams, carbolic acid half 
a dram, tincture of opium one ounce; mix this in a 
pint of thin starch gruel. If this treatment does 
not relieve the animal in two or three days, give 
the following three times a day : Tincture of gen- 
tian one ounce, tincture of ginger one ounce, tinc- 
ture of chloride of iron one ounce ; mixed in a quart 
of starch gruel. Ounce doses of bismuth nitrate in 
a quart of starch gruel have been given with good 
results two or three times daily. A teacupful 
of flaxseed boiled into a pulp and mixed with a lit- 
tle ground oats is good ; also plenty of pure water. 
If the animal is chilly clothe the body and hand- 
rub the legs and put on bandages. The treatment 
could be greatly assisted by good nursing and plac- 
ing the animal in a good, comfortable stable and 
feeding it on good oats and hay. 

Superpurgation is caused by an overdose 
of physic, or a dose of physic given when 
an animal is in a weakened condition, 
either from disease or from exhaustion. Although 
a horse may purge severely, as long as it eats 
well and the pulse keeps near the natural point 
treatment is unnecessary, but if it stops eating and 
the pulse becomes rapid and weak, the breathing 
fast with colicky pains, and cold legs there is great 
danger of the animal dying from inflammation or 
collapse. Give from one to two drams of powdered 
opium every two hours, and if the legs and ears are 



64 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

cold, and the pulse very small, a stimulant will be 
necessary. Two ounces sweet spirits of nitrous 
ether and one ounce of aromatic spirits of am- 
monia in a pint of cold water and repeat in one 
hour if necessarj^, or half a pint of good whisky 
in water. Clothe the body and hand -rub the legs 
and bandage them. If the pain is severe, rub mus- 
tard made up with hot water on the belly. When 
the appetite returns, give boiled flaxseed and 
ground oats for a few days, and very little hay. 

Haemorrhoids (Piles). — This is not a com- 
mon disease, but it does happen at times. 
When present there appears a blood-red tumor, 
after the horse passes feces, which is sometimes 
drawn in, and at others it may be seen at all 
times. Treatment: It should be scarified and all 
the blood squeezed out, then well washed with 
warm water and bathed with acetate of lead one 
ounce, tincture of oj)ium two ounces, w^ater one 
quart; shake up each time it is used. Give soft 
food with two drams of sulphate of iron once a 
day. 

Prolapsus (Protrusion of the Rectum). — This 
is caused by violent straining, constipation, and 
a weakened state of the walls of the Intestine. 
After the bowel remains out for some time, it swells 
and becomes dark colored and cold, caused by its 
being strangulated. I have treated cases of this 
kind when it has been out for several days, black 
and v(»ry foul smelling and the animal much ema- 
ciated. Treatment: Put the animal in a good, 
comfortable place, and give the horse or ox two 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 65 

drams of opium in a i)int of raw linseed oil; or 
if the animal is very weak, give a good stimulant, 
half a pint of whisk}^ Put a teaspoonful of car- 
bolic acid into half a pail of hot water and bathe 
the part for half an hour, then apply lead acetate 
one ounce; tincture of catechu, one ounce; tincture 
of opium, two ounces; water, one quart. After it is 
well bathed with a little of this, return it by gentle 
pressure. Keep it in with your hand for a short 
time, then put on a truss, the same as is used for 
falling down of the womb. It Avill be necessary to 
watch the animal for ten or twelve hours. Give 
bran mash once a day with a dram of nux vomica 
in it, for a week or two. If the outside sloughs off 
and there is a foul smell, add two drams of car- 
bolic acid to the above lotion. If this is properly 
attended to, very bad cases will recover. 

Hernia is a protrusion of the gut through some 
part, usually through the walls of the abdomen. 
They may be congenital, that is present at birth, or 
acquired, when the^^ appear suddenly later in life. 
They are also divided into reducible or irreducible, 
as the bowel can or cannot be replaced. Hernia is 
dangerous to life only when it becomes strangu- 
lated. It is called strangulated hernia when it is 
constricted, when it passes through the opening, 
or when feces accumulate in the sack and cannot 
return, or from congestion of the protruded part; 
and if it is not relieved, mortification of the 
strangulated part takes place and the animal dies. 
The symptoms of strangulated hernia are a con- 



G6 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

stant pain, the animal lies down and rolls, as in 
colic, but continuously. When inflammation sets 
in in the part, the pulse becomes fast, the breath- 
ing heavy, and the animal sighs. If the hernia is 
discovered, it will be found to be enlarged, hot and 
tender to the touch. It should be reduced if possi- 
ble by turning the animal on its back or side, ac- 
cording to the position, of the hernia, and by care- 
ful, steady pressure with the fingers on the tumors 
it will sometimes pass in through the opening and 
the animal is relieved. If this cannot be done, the 
opening will require to be made larger with the 
knife. This is done by cutting through the skin 
at the side of the bunch, then feeling for the open- 
ing with the fingers, pass the finger through the 
opening at the side of the imprisoned gut, then 
enter the knife alongside of the finger with the 
cutting edge towards the muscle, then cut out- 
wards large enough to allow the sack and its con- 
tents to be returned. A knife with a probe point 
is the safest. Then the best way of closing the 
opening is by means of steel skewers passed 
through the skin and flesh, about an inch back on 
each side from the opening, using one, tw^o or three 
according to size of opening, and by putting a 
cord around the ends of the skewer and pulling it 
tight, will bring the edges of the opening together. 
Then put a bandage around if it can be done. Let 
the skewer remain in until the opening is closed. 
My reason for using skewers -when they can be 
used is because thread or cat-gut will slough off 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 67 

too soon, usually before the part heals. In case 
the skewers cannot be used, cat-gut is the next 
best. 

Umbilical hernia is caused by a nonclosure 
of the navel opening, and is usually seen soon 
after birth. It is best to let it alone un- 
til the animal is one year old, and if nature 
has not reduced it, an operation on this kind 
of hernia is always successful. Place the ani- 
mal on its back and then press in the bowel; then 
take the sack by the center and pull it upwards; 
then pass a small skewer (a piece of wire the size 
of a knitting needle and about two inches long, 
made sharp on one end, will do) through the sack 
close to the flesh; then tie a small cord around the 
sack below the skewer tight enough to stop the 
circulation, but not too tight or it may slough oft' 
too soon. If it does not slough off in ten days, tie 
on another cord. By the time it sloughs off the 
opening will be closed and there will be no further 
trouble. 

Inguinal hernia takes place in stallions and 
young animals far more frequently than old. 
A fold of intestines passes into the inguinal canal, 
through which the spermatic duct passes from the 
testicle into the pelvis. Whenever a stallion is af- 
fected with symptoms of severe colic, the rectum 
should be emptied of its contents by injections of 
warm water, then oil the hand and pass it into the 
intestine and feel for the internal ring. The im- 
prisoned intestine will be felt. Symptoms: The 
retraction of the testicle on the affected side, cold 



68 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

sweats about the scrotum and thighs, looking 
around to the side affected. The history of the case 
will aid our diagnosis. Treatment: Cast the ani- 
mal and turn it on its back. Then pass the hand 
into the rectum and by manipulation the intestine, 
in the majority of cases, can be pushed back. If 
not, call a qualified veterinar}^ surgeon. 

Scrotal hernia is frequently seen in young 
foals. The reason of this is that the 
inguinal canal is large and the intestine 
smaller and the membrane holds the intes- 
tines in their places much longer and looser in 
comparison with the size of the colt and the full 
grown horse. It is detected by the enlarged con- 
dition of the scrotum. It feels to the fingers soft 
and doughy. If it becomes strangulated it causes 
symptoms as described. Treatment: In the foal 
nothing should be done and in the majority of cases 
it will right itself. As the colt grows, the mem- 
brane contracts and the intestine is drawn up into 
the cavity of the abdomen. If not by the time the 
colt is two years old, it can be castrated by the cov- 
ered operation. When it happens in the stallion 
it Avill likely become strangulated and cause severe 
pain. I have been called to several cases where a 
stallion had been doing service, and was seized 
with pain, which had been treated for colic for sev- 
eral hours, without an^^ benefit. On hearing the 
history of the case I directed my attention to the 
scrotum, which I found much enlarged and doughy 
to the feel. Uad the animal cast on its back and 
by passing one hand into the rectum and pressing 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 69 

the intestine forward and downward the other 
hand pressing on the scrotum, relieved the 
animal in a few minutes. The animal should not 
be used for any purpose for a week or ten days. If 
this cannot be accomplished in this way the horse 
will have to be operated upon. 

Ventral hernia is the name given when 
the bowel or its covering passes through an 
opening in the walls of the abdomen. This 
is usually caused by injuries. Soon after 
the accident happens there will be consider- 
able swelling of the surrounding tissue, which 
makes it sometimes difficult to determine whether 
there is a hernia or not. This inflammation or 
svfelling is best reduced by constant applications 
of acetate of lead, one-half ounce to the quart of 
water. In the majority of cases of this kind of 
rupture it is best not to do anything after the 
swelling is reduced. This kind of rupture seldom 
becomes strangulated. 



70 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

CHAPTER IV. 

DISEASES OF THE LIVER. 

The majority of the diseases of the liver in ani- 
mals are difficult to detect during life, and it is only 
on post-mortem examinations that it is found that 
the liver has been diseased. Indeed, it is wonderful 
sometimes to find such a diseased condition of this 
organ, and yet the animal having been in apparent 
good health and flesh up to the time when it was 
killed. On the other hand I have seen cases of 
great emaciation and dropsy, especially in cattle, 
from diseases of this organ. 

Jaundice. — This disease is sometimes seen in 
the horse and ox. I had a well-marked 
case of jaundice in a horse. It presented 
the following symptoms: Dullness, loss of 
appetite, some fever, feces light-colored, urine 
scanty and dark in color. The membrane 
of the eyes, mouth, and nostrils were very yel- 
low, and the animal's breath was very foul smell- 
ing. At first the mouth was dry and somewhat 
clammy, the pulse sixty-six and strong, the animal 
seemed stiff on being moved, and if left alone would 
stand in one position for hours; the bowels were 
somewhat constipated. This horse had been well 
fed, with very little work and that irregular. In 
this case the treatment was as follows : Aloes, six 
drams; calomel, one dram; made into a ball, or it 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 71 

could be given in oatmeal gruel ; nitrate of potassi- 
um in half-ounce doses three times a day in the 
drinking water. After the physic operated it got 
one dram of diluted nitro-hydrochloric acid three 
times a day in half a pint of cold water for one 
week, and by this time the animal had completely 
recovered. Gamgee mentions an animal which 
died of jaundice, caused by a blocking up of the gall 
duct hj gall stones. Hydatids, abscesses and other 
enlargements blocking up the gall duct will cause 
jaundice and may be the death of the animal. Cat- 
tle are sometimes affected with jaundice. For them 
Epsom salts in doses of one and a half pounds, dis- 
solved in half a gallon of water, and given at one 
dose. After the physic operates give the acid as 
above mentioned. 

CONGESTION OF THE LIVER. 

This is not a common disease among animals, 
but it is sometimes seen in horses and cattle that 
have been highly fed on stimulating foods. 

Symptoms: There is high fever, fast pulse, from 
eighty to ninety in cattle, and sixty to eighty in the 
horse; the temperature is one hundred and three to 
one hundred and five, appetite is lost, there is con- 
siderable thirst, and it has been noticed that the 
limbs and ears are cold, the eyes are dilated and 
blanched, the animal is very restive and looks 
around at its right side; the horse is stiff, and if 
made to walk will be lame in its right fore leg, the 
urine is high colored, the breath is foetid, and the 
mouth is hot and clammy. If the animal is not 



72 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

soon relieved its brain becomes affected and it will 
die of convulsions. In making post-mortem exam- 
inations of cases of this kind the liver is found en- 
larged and distended with blood; in some cases it 
may be only in patches, the other parts being of a 
gray or light brown color, which shows that it has 
undergone change when the disease has been of 
longer duration; very often it is found that the ca- 
pillaries of the liver have given way and the blood 
has extravasated into the liver tissue, and that it 
is badly broken up and is only held together by its 
capsule. 

Treatment: For the horse, give aloes, one ounce, 
as a physic; for cattle, one and a half pounds of Ep- 
som salts; this to be followed by giving a stimu- 
lant of spirits of nitrous ether, two ounces in half a 
pint of cold water, three times a day. After the 
physic has operated take four ounces sulphuric 
acid diluted, compound tincture of cinnamon four 
ounces, mix, and give a tablespoonful in a quart 
of water three times a day to horses or cattle until 
the animal improves. If the liver remains inactive 
after this treatment, give one dram of the extract 
of podophyllum and one dram of calomel, made into 
a ball or given in a quart of oatmeal gruel once a 
day until it acts on the bowels. 

HEPATITIS (INFLAMMATION OP THE LIVER). 

This derangement is sometimes seen in both 
horses and cattle, and is caused by their being in 
too plethoric conditions in hot weather. It is said 
?ilso to be caused by changes of temperature, of 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 73 

food, and from want of exercise. I have seen it 
caused as a result of distemper and influenza, end- 
ing in the formation of an abscess and death. 

S^nnptoms : In the early stage of the disease it is 
very difficult to tell what it is. Usually there is a 
yellowness of the membrane of the nose, eyes, and 
mouth, and if any part of the skin of the animal is 
white it will have a yellow tinge; there is fever, in- 
dicated by loss of appetite, hot, clammy mouth, fast 
pulse, and rather full in the early stage. If it is a 
cow it will moan if made to move, or if it is pressed 
on the right side, but does not go lame as the horse 
does, the secretions of bile are arrested, the bowels 
will be constipated, and the feces dry and coated 
with mucous. The milk will be scanty and of a 
yellow color, and the cream thick and ropy. The 
animal suffers much pain at times and is very rest- 
less. When abscesses form the animal becomes 
very much emaciated, the hair is dry and stands up, 
the animal may eat some food, but usually very lit- 
tle, and it pines away and dies. It is only on mak- 
ing a post-mortem that we ascertain the true nature 
of the disease. 

Treatment : Apply a blister to the right side and 
give a dose of physic, aloes for the horse and Epsom 
salts for cattle. If the fever is high give from 
twenty to thirty drops of tincture of aconite every 
two hours until the pulse is lower; also give half 
ounce doses nitrate of potassium three times a day 
in the drinking water. When the acute stage is 
over give dram doses of diluted nitro-hydrochloric 
acid in a pint of cold water three times a day. 



74 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER V. 

DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS. 

Acute Catarrh. — Catarrh, or cokl, is an inflam- 
mation of the membrane lining the nostrils and 
the cavities of the face and head. It is attended 
with a watery, then with a mattery discharge from 
the nose, and occasionally with cough and sore 
throat. 

Causes: The direct causes of acute catarrh are 
exposure to cold and wet, particularly when heat- 
ed and weakened from overwork, and in contact 
with animals suffering from the same disturbance. 
When animals are placed in damp, badly venti- 
lated stables, or when they are standing when the 
s^'stem has been weakened by over-driving, the 
influence of the cold suddenly applied acts detri- 
mentally upon them. 

S^^mptoms: Are sneezing, redness and dryness 
of the membrane of the nose, then a watery dis- 
charge of an irritating character, succeeded aftei* 
a few days by a turbid yellow discharge. The lin- 
ings of the e3^elids are more or less affected, and 
there is a copious discharge of tears. If the throat 
is affected, there will be a cough. The fever in 
some cases is very slight, the appetite remains un- 
impaired, and there is no alteration of the pulse or 
breathing. In other cases there is considerable 
fever, the appetite diminished or may be lost, the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 75 

pulse from sixty to seventy, and the temperature 
one hundred and one to one hundred and two; the 
animal hangs its head, the coat stares or there may 
be shivering fits, the breathing is accelerated, and 
the animal has a desire for water. In some cases 
the animal stands, and, if moved, seems stiff; the 
legs and feet are cold, the urine thick and scanty. 
The disease usually in the otherwise healthy horse 
runs its course in ten days to two weeks. In all 
cases it is better not to work horses suffering from 
a simple cold, as the exhaustion caused by the work 
is very liable to set up lung trouble. In some cases 
the membrane of the nose becomes weakened by the 
disease and the animal suffers from chronic catarrh 
with a discharge from one or both nostrils. If the 
sinuses of the face and head are affected the disease 
is called nasal gleet. 

Treatment: With all mild forms of catarrh no 
treatment is necessary, but rest and attention to 
the animal's comfort. If possible put the horse in 
a roomy, light, and well ventilated, but not cold 
place. In all cases where fever is marked it will 
be needful to give medicine to assist the animal 
through the fever. It is best to give the medicine 
in the drinking water. If the throat is sore and 
swallowing difficult, it will be necessary to give it 
as a drench. Great care must be taken in giving 
medicine w^hen the throat is sore. For reducing 
the fever take two drams of chlorate of potassium 
and two drams of nitrate of potassium, and give 
twice daily in the drinking water. If the throat is 
sore and the cough troublesome, give one dram of 



76 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

camphor and one dram of belladonna, dissolved in 
an ounce of glycerine, then add one-half pint of 
gruel, and give at one dose three times a day. Rub 
mustard on the throat and between the jaws. Be- 
sides this, great benefit will be obtained by steam- 
ing the nostrils, by taking a pail of boiling water 
and putting a piece of camphor about the size of a 
walnut in it and holding it under the nose for ten 
or fifteen minutes at a time, three times a day. Give 
the animal plenty of clean, cold-water to drink, and 
any kind of food it will eat. After the animal be- 
comes convalescent, give one dram of sulphate of 
iron, and a tablespoonful of ground gentian at a 
dose in a bran mash twice daily. During the fever 
blanket the body and hand-rub and bandage the 
legs. If the bowels are constipated, give injections 
of warm water, or if necessary, give a pint of raw 
linseed oil, but do not give strong purgatives. 

CHRONIC CATARRH. 

Is sometimes the result of a neglected case of sim- 
ple catarrh. There is a discharge from the nos- 
trils, and when we look at the mucous membrane 
of the nose it is of a leaden hue. There is often an 
unthrifty condition of the coat, but usually the ap- 
petite remains good. When the discharge is thin 
and of a bluish color it is termed nasal gleet. The 
sinuses of the face and head sometimes get filled 
up with matter and bulge out, which can be easily 
seen, and when tapped with the finger emit a dull 
sound. 

Treatment : Give a dram of sulphate of copper 



DISiEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 77 

at a dose three times a day in a small bran mash. 
Steam the nostrils with a pail of hot water, in 
which two ounces of turpentine have been put. 
Keep this under the animal's nose for ten minutes 
at a time, two or three times a day; or make a hot 
bran mash and put one dram carbolic acid, iodine, 
or sulphuric acid in it. If the sinuses are bulged 
out, they must be opened. A trephine is the best 
instrument for this purpose. A small piece of skin 
about the size of a silver dollar is removed, then a 
piece of the bone is sawn out. Then clean it out 
with a syringe and use carbolic lotion. Wash out 
twice a day. After treatment with copper for a 
few weeks and the animal not improving, give one- 
half ounce of Fowler's solution of arsenic twice a 
day in a mash. All animals affected with chronic 
catarrh should be kept by themselves in case of 
affecting others, as it may become a case of 
glanders. 

Epistaxis (bleeding from the nose). — This de- 
rangement is not of frequent occurrence in horses 
or cattle, but it sometimes takes place. 

Causes : Sneezing, coughing, or any violent exer- 
tion, pulling heavy loads, or driving too fast, a tight 
collar or bearing rein, especially if the animal is 
fat, or injuries to the mucous membrane. 

Symptoms: The blood oozes from one or both nos- 
trils, or may be forced out in a stream by violent 
sneezing. The blood is of a dark color. Bleeding 
from the lungs comes always from both nostrils, 
and is of a bright scarlet color and frothy. 

Treatment: Tie up the animal's head and apply 



78 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

cold water or ice to the back of the head. Strong 
alum water should be injected, or acetate of lead 
half an ounce, water one pint; or flour may be 
blown into the nostrils. I have had good success 
from blowing prepared chalk. In very bad cases 
the nostrils will have to be plugged. Take tow or 
some soft substance and tie a soft string around it, 
then press this into the nostril; never plug both 
nostrils at once. Hypodermic injections of tinc- 
ture of ergot of rye, one to two ounces, are some- 
times useful. 

LARYNGITIS, OR SORE THROAT. 

This is an inflammation of the soft tissue and 
mucous membrane of the larynx, and occasionally 
extending to the windpipe. 

Causes: The same as catarrh. A very common 
cause is bringing a horse from a cold to a warm 
stable, or when the animal is first brought in from 
the field and put into a close stable. 

Symptoms : Pain in the throat when the animal 
is swallowing food or water, or when the throat is 
slightly pressed. The horse keeps his nose ele- 
vated so as to ease the throat. The mouth con- 
tains a quantity of ropy saliva, the animal's throat 
being too sore to swallow it. Cough is easily caused 
by attempting to swallow, and fluids are ejected 
through the nose. At the beginning the cough is 
hard and rather rough; when the morbid action ad- 
vances, and the discharge is considerable, the cough 
becomes soft and the sound less rough. There is 
more or less fever. The pulse from sixty to eighty. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 79 

and the temperature is somewhat increased. The 
animal >seems afraid to eat, and wlien it does and 
attempts to swallow, it brings on a fit of coughing, 
in some cases nearly suffocating the animal, and 
the chewed food will be forced partially through 
the nose. From the effects of the inflammation the 
soft structures of the throat may swell to such an 
extent as to cause suffocation, and this takes place 
sometimes in a few hours; there may be no ex- 
ternal swelling, although it is sometimes present. 
The breathing becomes yerj difficult, with a loud, 
rough sound that can be heard several yards away. 
When this takes place treatment requires to be 
promi^t to prevent the animal from suffocating. 
Should life be prolonged for a few days, the breath 
becomes very foetid, and the discharge from the 
mouth and nose is very offensive. In some cases 
of this affection a thickening of the membrane of 
the throat causes thick wind or roaring. 

Treatment: In this disease, in the majority of 
cases, it is impossible to give medicine, as the ani- 
mal cannot swallow, but if it can swallow water, 
give two drams of chlorate of potassium and two 
drams of nitrate of potass, in the drinking water 
three times a day; steam the nostrils with hot water 
with a piece of camphor in it. This should be done 
in bad cases and when there is a tendency to suffo- 
cation almost continually. Apply mustard to 
the outside of the throat, and put a piece 
of blanket over it. Repeat the mustard in 
two days. Also gargle the throat with the 
following: The fluid extract of belladonna, one 



80 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

dram; chlorate of potass., one dram; water, half a 
pint. Shake up well, elevate the head and pour a 
little into the mouth, and rub the tongue with the 
fingers to make it move, so that the gargle will 
reach the sore part. When the animal wants to 
cough let the head down, and when it gets over it 
pour in a little more, and so on until the half pint is 
all used. In bad cases this should be done often. 
I have been called to cases where the horse was in 
great distress, and by persevering with the above 
treatment, in a few hours the animal would be 
greatly relieved. If there is swelling on the outside 
of the throat, great benefit can be obtained by 
fomenting with hot water or applying hot poultices 
of linseed meal, changing as soon as they get cool. 
Some recommend cotton wool soaked in hot oil 
and put around the neck. If there is a possibility of 
suffocation, the animal should be watched, and 
we ought not to risk the chance of this, but perform 
the operation of tracheotomy. This operation is 
performed by feeling for the windpipe, five or six 
inches below the throat. At this part there is very 
little flesh. Take a sharp knife and cut through the 
skin and windpipe, making a cut about two inches 
in length. The animal's head should be held up by 
an assistant, and as soon as the opening is made, 
let the head down, so that the blood will not run 
into the windpipe. Sponge the wound with acid 
carbolic, half an ounce; water, one quart, to wash 
away the blood. Then put in a tracheotomy tube, 
and if one is not at hand get a piece of stiff gutta- 
percha tube about half an inch in diameter, and 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 81 

cut two holes in the side of it to tie two pieces of 
string; tie this around the neck, and insert the 
other end into the windpipe; this will give imme- 
diate relief. The tube should be removed once a 
day and cleaned with carbolic acid, half an ounce; 
water, one quart. Several times a day the hand 
should be placed over the mouth of the tube to find 
out how the animal can breathe through the nos- 
trils, and when it is able to do so, the tube can be 
withdrawn, the edges of the wound cleaned and 
brought together by pins or stitches through the 
skin on each side, and bathed once a day with car- 
bolic lotion. Usually the animal recovers. Al- 
though, if the operation has not been done before 
the animal was in a dying condition, it does not 
usually survive. If the cough remains after all 
other symptoms have disappeared, blister the 
throat with biniodide of mercury, one and one-half 
drams; vaseline, two ounces; repeat every second 
week for a month or two; also give one dram of 
iodide of potassium in the drinking water in the 
morning, and two drams of sulphate of iron in the 
evening in a bran mash, made by boiling a teacup- 
ful of flaxseed in two gallons of water and mix- 
ing It with bran. This ought to be kept up for 
three or four weeks, or give Fowler's solution of ar- 
senic, one ounce, in bran mash once a day and con- 
tinue it for a month. 

BRONCHITIS. 

Is an inflammation of the tubes of the lungs, char- 
acterized by a harsh cough, accelerated breathing. 



82 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

a soft, frequent pulse, with more or less fever. 

Causes: It is often the result of sore throat or the 
same causes as catarrh, and is often caused by 
smoke and the inhalation of irritating gases; or 
solids and fluids passing down the windpipe in- 
stead of the gullet; changes of the atmosphere, as 
prevailing cold winds combined with moisture, and 
from a deranged condition of the system from 
other diseases. I have seen some cases of it in 
which I could' not find any cause. 

Symptoms: The horse is dull, hangs its 
head, the breathing is greatly increased, the 
appetite is impaired, there is a short, dry 
cough; in the early stages of the disease 
the pulse is increased in frequency. As the 
disease advances the cough becomes more trouble- 
some; it is loud and rough. On placing the ear at 
the root of the windpipe there will be a loud, rough 
rattle, or if the smaller tubes are affected the sound 
can be heard behind the shoulder. The difference 
between bronchitis and laryngitis is, the sound 
gets louder the farther down you put the ear on 
the windpipe, and the sound can also be heard be- 
hind the shoulder. In laryngitis it is loudest in the 
upper part of the windpipe; also the animal can 
swallow in bronchitis without difficulty, while in 
laryngitis it cannot. It is therefore easily distin- 
guished. After the first few days the cough be- 
comes softer and the sound instead of being rough 
is soft as if the air was passing through bubbles 
of mucous. At this time the mucous membrane, 
instead of being dry as at first, is now pouring out 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 83 

a thin mucous, and the animal coughs up a con- 
siderable quantity through its nose. If the small 
tubes have been affected, the outpourings of this 
mucous sometimes block them up, and the animal 
dies from suffocation. After the disease has gone 
on for six or eight days, the animal begins to im- 
prove. But if the breathing becomes faster and 
shorter, and the pulse fast and weak, and the dis- 
charge from the nose becomes foul smelling and of 
a dirty brick-red color, this indicates that the ani- 
mal will die. The horse stands through the at- 
tacks. Cattle usually lie on their breastbone. 
Treatment: Place the animal in a comfortable 
place with plenty of fresh air, but out of draughts ; 
clothe the body and if the legs are cold, hand-rab 
and bandage them. In the early stage, when the 
cough is rough and hard, give two drams of chlo- 
rate of potassium and one dram of the fluid extract 
of belladonna, in half a pint of water, three times a 
day. If the pulse is full and soft, give fifteen to 
twenty drops of tincture of aconite in the drinking 
water every three or four hours until the pulse is 
slower and firmer. Half an ounce of the tincture 
of squills in half a pint of water giA^en twice a day 
is sometimes very useful. The inhalations of vapor 
of hot water with a piece of camphor about the 
size of a walnut will relieve the irritation of the 
bronchial tubes very much and should be used sev- 
eral times daily. If the inflammation is extensive 
and the air cells involved and the breathing diffi- 
cult, the application of mustard to the sides, or 
soap liniment rubbed in well twice a day, is of bene- 



84 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

fit. I do not think strong blisters ought to be used, 
as the J cause too much irritation. I have seen the 
fever increase rapidly after the application of a 
cantharidian blister to the sides. If the bowels 
are confined, injections of warm water will usually 
relieve them. Purgatives are too reducing in this 
disease. When the acute symptoms have subsided 
and the appetite is poor, one ounce each of tincture 
of gentian, tincture of ginger, and aromatic spirits 
of ammonia in half a pint of cold water given three 
times a day will stimulate the appetite and 
strengthen the animal. As convalescence pro- 
ceeds and the appetite improves, give one dram of 
sulphate of iron and half a dram of nux vomica at 
a dose, twice a day, in bran mash or ground oats. 
During all stages of the disease give half ounce 
doses of nitrate of i)otass. in the drinking water 
twice a day. This keeps the kidneys active and 
cools the system. The animal should not be put 
to work for two or three weeks after convalescence. 

CONGESTION OP THE LUNGS. 

Congestion of the lungs is an over-filling of the 
blood vessels with blood, often causing rupture of 
the small ones, allowing the blood to escape into 
the lung substance. It is caused b}^ over-exertion 
when the animal is not used to fast work. No ani- 
mal should be driven fast for a length of time 
without first having been trained, and even then 
it will sometimes take place. In some cases there 
may be frothy blood coming from the nostrils. 
The pulse is small and indistinct, although the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 85 

artery feels full under the finger and may be beat- 
ing at the rate of eighty to one hundred per minute, 
although we cannot count the number of beats. 
The veins of the skin stand out, especially over the 
head. The heart is beating tumultuously and jerk- 
ing. On applying the ear to the side, a. sharp, fine 
cracking sound may be heard. The horse in this 
condition makes no attempt to eat or drink. Treat- 
ment : Clothe the body and hand-rub and bandage 
the legs and give a stimulant. I find that one 
ounce of aromatic spirits of ammonia and two 
ounces of spirits of nitric ether giyen in half a pint 
of cold water and repeated in half an hour if neces- 
sary, usually gives relief. Half a pint of good 
whisky in a pint of cold water and repeated in one 
hour; or if nothing else is at hand, two tablespoon- 
fuls of ground ginger dissolved in a pint of hot 
water, and given as hot as it will bear, is useful. 
Allow plenty of fresh air, but keep the animal as 
warm as possible. 

HAEMOPTYSIS (BLEEDING PROM THE LUNGS). 

Bleeding from the lungs occurs from acute con- 
gestion of the lungs, from rupture of the tissue of 
the lungs or a blood vessel, or it may be caused 
from tuberculosis or ulceration, also from severe 
exertion. Symptoms: The flow of blood may be 
only slight and soon stop of its own accord. There 
is usually a cough caused by the blood in the bron- 
chial tubes. The blood that is coughed up is of a 
bright scarlet color and frothy. This is caused by 
the air forming air bubbles; sometimes if it is ex- 



86 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

cessive it will cause suffocation. Treatment: If 
it is only in small quantities it will likely cease by 
keeping the animal (iuiet; if it is severe pour cold 
water over the back and give hypodermic injec- 
tions of tincture ergot of rye every half hour until 
it stops; use one ounce at an injection. It is dan- 
gerous to give drenches of medicine by the mouth 
in case of causing suffocation. If the animal can 
eat give sulphate of iron in two-dram doses three 
times a day or one dram of acetate of lead three 
times a day for two days if needed. Inhalations of 
hot water and turpentine are useful when it is 
caused by ulcers or tuberculosis. 

PNEUMONIA. 

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung sub- 
stance. Causes : It is more prevalent during spring 
and autumn, particularly when cold, wet winds 
prevail, Avhen the animal is shedding its coat or 
when it is weakened from other diseases, such as 
congestion of the lungs, influenza, distemper, and 
sometimes from disease of the digestive organs; 
confined in badh^ ventilated stables where the ani- 
mal has to breathe foul air. This is a very com- 
mon cause in the large cities, and it is the most 
difficult to treat. Symptoms: If the animal is no- 
ticed in the early stage, there is generally a chill 
which may cause it to shiver; the animal is dull 
and refuses its food. The pulse is full, but soft, 
and in some cases, not easily counted, usually from 
sixty to eighty beats per minute. The temperature 
will be increased to one hundred and three and one 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 87 

hundred and four and five. There is a dry cough 
which, in some cases, is very troublesome. The 
breatliing is not much increased at first. The horse 
does not lie down until it is convalescent, and this 
symptom helps us greatl}^ in forming our opinion 
as to the nature of the disease. The membrane 
lining the eyelids and nose is of a dirt}' brick-red 
color, and the bowels are usually confined. In ap- 
pMng the ear to the sides the sound of the air pass- 
ing will be rough at first, gradually getting less un- 
til yery little sound can be heard. As the disease 
progresses and the lungs become consolidated, 
there will be no air sound in that part. They will 
keep in this stage for a week, then there is usually 
a change either for the better or worse. If the ani- 
mal is improving it will look brighter, will eat a 
little, and move around more in the stall, prick up 
its ears at any sound, the pulse Avill be stronger 
and more distinct and less frequent, the breathing 
Avill also be more natural and the animal may lie 
down. On the other hand, if the animal is getting 
worse the breathing Avill be much increased. The 
horse shows distress by being restless, takes no no- 
tice of sounds, will not eat or drink, the pulse is 
from eighty to one hundred per minute and small, 
there will be a discharge from the nose often tinged 
with blood and foul smelling, which can be felt 
sometimes before you reach the animal. There will 
be more or less heaving at the flanks, which in- 
creases until the animal dies. Treatment: In the 
early stages, if the animal is fat and the pulse full, 
give twenty to twenty-five drops of tincture aeon- 



88 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ite in a little water every two hours until the pulse 
is slower and weaker. Also give nitrate of potas- 
sium in half ounce doses three times a day in the 
drinking water. Blanket the animal and bandage 
the legs of the horse. If the cough is troublesome 
give one dram of opium made into a ball three 
times a day. Cold linseed tea is very useful to keep 
the bowels regular as well as an article of food. 
It may be necessary to give an occasional injection 
of warm water if the bowels should become con- 
stipated, or a pint of linseed oil. Strong purgatives 
should not be used, as they may cause too much 
irritation to the mucous membrane of the stom- 
ach and bowels and so cause death. When the 
animal becomes convalescent give one dram of sul- 
phate of iron and thirty grains of quinine made 
into a ball with linseed meal or bread twice daily 
for two or three weeks. Do not put the animal to 
work until fully recovered, and then it should be 
worked light. 

HEAVES (BROKEN WIND). 

Broken wind, or heaves, is distinguished by diffi- 
cult breathing accompanied by cough. It is non- 
inflammatory and varies according to the season 
of the year, and how the animal is fed, and what it 
is fed on, and the work the animal has to do. The 
difficulty is caused by a nervous contraction of the 
lung tissue, which also causes the cough. The 
nerve which supplies the lung passes to the stom- 
ach and the heart and by a deranged condition of 
either the stomach or heart Avill, by reflex action, 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 89 

disturb the breathing, and we find this the case in 
heaves. I have made a number of post-mortem ex- 
aminations and failed to find, either bj the naked 
eye or the microscoiDO, anything wrong with the 
lung, although the animal had been affected with 
heaves for a number of years. There are horses 
whose lungs have been affected with inflammation 
and a part becomes consolidated which will heave 
just as a heaving horse would do; but the great 
majority of horses affected with heaves have no' 
apparent disease of the lungs, therefore the 'ma- 
jority of the profession find and believe it to be 
a deranged state of the digestive organs. Profes- 
sor Robertson saj-s: "It is generally admitted to 
be true that to this abnormal condition is attached 
a certain amount of disposition or capability of 
propagation from parent to progeny. Not that 
those who support this idea suppose that the exact 
paralysis of lung-tissue is received as an inherit- 
ance from parent, but rather that, born with a 
certain bodily conformation or temperament, the 
animals are, under the same conditions and sur- 
roundings, more liable to become sufferers from 
this particular disordered condition than others not 
possessed of the same congenital constitutions." 
Certain breeds of horses are more subject to heaves 
than others. Coarse-bred, high-boned, pot-bellied 
animals are more frequently affected with it than 
the fine, round, well-built horse. The kind of food 
the animal is fed on and also the quantity is a 
cause of heaves. Musty, innutritions, bulky, dusty 
food, with a full allowance of water and put to 



90 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

work, is a very common cause of heaves. Certain 
kinds of timothy hay seem to be notorious for pro- 
ducing it. Good, clean straw and clover hay, when 
it is fed sparingly, is much better for horses than 
pure timothy hay. If heaving horses are fed largely 
on oats with very little hay, and watered before 
being fed, and not put to work for an hour at least, 
they will do a fair day's work. Gamgee says that 
heaves follows the introduction of artificial grasses. 
Symptoms: When fully developed it is easily rec- 
ognized and is so well marked that it cannot be mis- 
taken. The air is easily drawn in, but there seems 
to be a difficulty in expelling it, and it takes a 
double effort to do it, causing the animal to heave. 
In the early stages it is not so easy to detect it. 
Cough is often a forerunner of it. The cough is 
peculiar. It is short and suppressed, as if it was 
averted in the expulsion, and is often accompanied 
by a forcible expulsion of gas from the anus. It 
seems to follow the slightest exercise, even the act 
of drinking will bring it on. It is more trouble- 
some after a full meal and a liberal allowance of 
water. Indigestion and an unhealthy appear- 
ance of the animal, the intestines enlarge and the 
belly drops down. The appetite ma}^ not be im- 
paired, but there is want of assimilation and the 
animal does not get the good of the food it con- 
sumes, therefore heavy horses are usually weak, 
and when put to hard work very soon give out. A 
confirmed broken- winded horse is only fit for slow, 
light work. Treatment: Feed so as not to over- 
load the stomach; alloAV a little hay to be eaten 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 91 

first, then water and then the oats. Never feed 
more than twelve to fourteen pounds of hay per 
day and fifteen pounds of oats. Boiled flaxseed 
mixed with a little bran at night will keep the bow- 
els regular, besides being very nutritious. Sul- 
phate of iron, four ounces; nitrate of potass., four 
ounces; nux vomica, two ounces, divided into 
twenty-four doses, and one given every night in 
bran mash, is very useful. After this quantity has 
been given, skip two or three weeks, and repeat. 
One ounce of Fowler's solution of arsenic given 
every night in small bran mash, when the animal 
is at work in the spring, is very good and often en- 
ables an animal to do a good day's w^ork, which it 
could not do but for the arsenic. This can be con- 
tinued for a month or six weeks without any dan- 
ger to the animal, then stop for a few weeks or as 
long as the animal can do without it, and when the 
breathing becomes difficult, resume again and so 
on. I have treated horses in this way and they 
would do their work with ease for years. 

PLEURISY. 

Pleurisy is an inflammation of the serous mem- 
brane lining the cavity of the chest and covering 
the lungs. This disease is caused by injuries to the 
walls of the chest, or from exposure to cold when 
the animal has been heated. I have seen a num- 
ber of cases following clipping late in the fall or 
too early in the spring. It is often connected with 
pneumonia and disease of the heart. It sometimes 
takes place without any apparent cause and is 



92 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

probably the result of some morbid state of the 
blood. It may affect only one side or both. Symp- 
toms: It is usually ushered in by slight or severe 
chill, followed by fever, quick and painful breath- 
ing, interrupted by a short cough, almost continu- 
ous. The animal is restless and if made to move 
will evince pain and stiffness, which may be taken 
for founder. The difference can be easily detected 
by the pulse, which in pleurisy is small and hard, 
while in founder it is full and soft. On backing the 
horse, if it is pleurisy it will lift its fore feet al- 
though it may give it pain ; if founder, it will not 
lift its fore feet from the ground, and if forced will 
drag its feet, and arch its back, have its hind feet 
forward under its belly. The expulsion of the 
breath is principally done by the muscles of the 
abdomen, and the ribs kept as fixed as possible. 
There is a depression or line running along the 
cartilage of the false ribs. This is well marked, 
even in the early stages of the disease. The ani- 
mal will look around at its side or sides, and show 
signs of colic, but will rarely lie down. If made to 
move suddenly will grunt. On applying the ear to 
the sides you will hear a grating sound every time 
the animal breathes. This is caused by the dry, 
inflamed surfaces rubbing together. After a few 
days, friction sound passes away, and we either 
hear no sound or we may be able to hear the sound 
of fluid. At this time, if the pulse becomes small 
and fast and the breathing is more heaving, there 
is danger of effusion taking place. At this time, if 
effusion has taken place, on applying the ear to the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 93 

chest or root of the neck you will hear a splashing 
sound every time the animal breathes. On the 
other hand, if the pulse becomes slower the breath- 
ing more natural and the animal moves about with 
more ease, the appetite returns, and the animal 
lies down quiet, it is a sure sign of recovery. Treat- 
ment: In all cases of pleurisy no matter how 
slight it is, the animal should be placed in a com- 
fortable, loose box, with plenty of fresh air, the 
body well clothed and the legs hand-rubbed and 
bandaged. Some recommend to bleed the animal 
until the pulse becomes soft. My experience is 
that in the majority of cases it is better not to 
bleed. The fever can be reduced by giving tincture 
of aconite in doses from fifteen to twenty-five drops 
every two hours, and nitrate of potassium in half 
ounce doses three times daily in the drinking- 
water. As soon as the pulse is reduced in strength 
and frequency, stop the aconite, but continue the 
potassium. If the pain is severe opium in dram 
doses should be given three times a day in a little 
gruel or a ball. As well as relieving the pain it 
will reduce the cough. Hot fomentation to the 
chest or blankets wrung out of boiling water and 
changed every half hour and hot linseed meal poul- 
tices are good. If this cannot be done rub in well 
compound soap liniment and cover up with hot 
blankets. If the pain continues after giving the 
above treatment, apply a blister of cantharides, 
two drams; lard, one ounce and one-half. Repeat 
on the second day if needed. After the acute stage 
is passed, which will usually take place about the 



94 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

fourth day, we find the animal requires stimula- 
tion and the best is one ounce tincture of ginger, 
gentian, and chloride of iron, given at one dose, 
in a pint of water, two or three times a day. Con- 
tinue the potassium, as it will keep the kidneys ac- 
tive, which is particularly necessar}^ in pleurisy. 
If the animal improves, continue this treatment; 
but if effusion is taking place it will be necessary 
to give, besides the above, one dram of iodide of 
potassium once daily in the drinking water. Give 
good food and improve the appetite by giving one 
dram sulphate of quinine w^ith fifteen or twenty 
drops of nitric acid in a quart of gruel. If liquid 
has formed in the chest as the result of the disease, 
give five grains powdered cantharides, and digi- 
talis twenty to thirtj^ grains, twice a day. Con- 
tinue the tincture of ginger, gentian and chloride 
of iron. Repeat the blister to the chest if the skin 
is not broken by the previous one. If the fluid 
still keeps accumulating it will be necessary to tap 
the animal. This is done by cutting the skin be- 
tween the eighth and ninth rib and pushing a small 
trocar and canula into the cavity, then draw^ out 
the trocar, leaving the canula in and the fluid will 
run out. After the fluid has been removed it will 
be useful to give the horse half a pint of good 
whisky as a stimulant. It is not necessary to re- 
move all the fluid — as this cannot be easih^ done. 
The opening made into the chest should not be too 
low, about midway between the superior surface 
of the fluid and the bottom of the chest. This oper- 
ation will often have to be repeated as the fluid 



DISiEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 95 

will have a tendency to accnmnlate again in two 
or three days. If the animal has not sufficient 
strength, I find the operation is of little use; but if 
the animal is strong it will often save its life. 

Chronic Cough. — What is chronic cough? 
When an animal coughs beyond the limited period 
usually assigned to a cold, it is called chronic 
cough. There are several causes of cough in the 
horse; first, from a thickening of the membrane 
of the throat caused from distemper or colds ; sec- 
ond, it may be the forerunner of heaves; third, it 
may be caused from some lung trouble or a nervous 
irritation of the throat. If possible, find out the 
part affected; if it is caused by a thickening of the 
membrane, nothing can be done for it; if it is the 
commencement of heaves, the treatment for that 
disease may relieve it for a time; if it is caused 
by an irritation of the throat, such medicines as 
opium and belladonna may be tried. There is no 
sure cure for chronic cough. 

Goitre (Enlarged Thyroid Glands). — This dis- 
ease consists of enlargement of the glands of the 
throat just behind the angles of the lower jaw, 
and is a common disorder in horses and cattle in 
districts where there is an abundance of lime in 
the soil, and usually the drinking water is impreg- 
nated with it. This is said to be the cause, and al- 
though it is much more prevalent in limestone dis- 
tricts it is frequently seen in all parts of the coun- 
try and in animals that are kept in close, badly 
ventilated stables, and in some cases it follows 
sore throat. 



96 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Symptoms: A swelling is noticed on each side 
of the throat where the throat latch of the bridle 
comes. In some cases it grows very rapidly, in 
others it is of slow growth. In pressing on the 
gland it moves easily under the skin, although it 
feels hard. When it grows large it sometimes in- 
terferes with the animal's wind and is unsightly. 

Treatment: It is usually reduced by using the 
following: Biniodide of mercury, one dram; lard, 
one and a half ounces; mix and rub on a little 
every second week ; also give one dram of iodide of 
potassium twice a day in a bran mash and con- 
tinue it for three or four weeks. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 97 



CHAPTER VI. 

DISEASES OF THE ORGANS OP CIRCULATION. 

The heart of the horse and ox is situated in the 
center of the chest, with the apex inclining to the 
left side. Therefore, when the horse and ox are 
in a healthy state you cannot hear or see the mo- 
tion of the heart from the outside, but on severe 
exertion it can be both seen and felt. If in the 
horse or ox, while standing quiet or after moder- 
ate w^ork, you can hear the beating of the heart, it 
will indicate that there is some derangement of 
this organ, and the horse will be considered un- 
sound. 

Palpitation of the Heart. — Is usually caused by 
a deranged condition of the nerves supplying the 
heart; and as these nerves are connected with the 
nerves of the stomach, it often happens when the 
stomach is affected by disease that it may cause 
palpitation. 

Causes: In the horse, fast driving, if long con- 
tinued, especially if the animal is not used to it; 
blood diseases or impure blood from reducing dis- 
eases; influenza, or other epizootic affections. In 
cattle, it is often the result of dyspepsia and nerv- 
ous diseases. 

Symptoms : The principal symptoms are power- 
ful and jerky action of the heart, frequent and 



98 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

small pulse, anxiety, and often loss of appetite. In 
some cases the jerking is so violent as to shake the 
whole body of the animal, and to be heard at a con- 
siderable distance, and may be mistaken for 
spasms of the diaphragm. If the heart is the organ 
affected, the jerk and sound will take place 
with each beat of the pulse. Palpitation of the 
heart from disease of the heart itself will usually 
be irregular or intermitting, which is the most dan- 
gerous. There may be an intermitting beat of the 
heart without palpitation, caused from valvular 
disease of the heart. In some severe cases of pal- 
pitation the animal may show signs of faintness 
and suffocation, on the least exertion. 

Treatment: In all cases of heart disease the 
animal should be kept as quiet as possible, and 
given two ounces of tincture of opium and two 
ounces of tincture of digitalis at a dose in half a 
l^int of water, and half the dose repeated in tw^o 
hours if the animal is not relieved. If it is caused 
from a deranged state of the blood, it may be neces- 
sary to give a dose of physic and dram doses of sul- 
phate of iron twice daily, or ounce doses of hypo- 
sulphate of soda and whisky in half-pint doses 
three times daily. If the pulse should be strong, 
sometimes benefit is obtained by giving from twen- 
ty to twenty-five drops of tincture of aconite in a 
little water every two hours until an alteration of 
the pulse takes i^lace. 

Pericarditis. — Pericarditis is an inflammation of 
the membrane investing the heart. 

Causes: Inflammation of the investing mem- 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 99 

brane containing the heart is caused by injuries, 
such as sharp bodies passing from the stomach to 
the heart. This is a common occurrence to cows in 
cities from eating slops from the kitchen; expos- 
ure to colds, and fatigue; certain general diseases 
of the blood, such as rheumatism, strangles, influ- 
enza, and from the extension of inflammation of 
the pleura and lungs. 

Symptoms : The symptoms of this form of heart 
disease are obscure. The animal will show signs 
of pain if made to move ; the pulse is fast and small, 
but hard as if you were pressing your finger on a 
piece of wire; the breathing may or may not be 
increased; the animal shows stiffness in moving; 
and on applying the ear over the region of the heart 
on the left side we may in some cases hear a rasp- 
ing sound at each beat of the heart; but this can- 
not be depended upon, except in some cases. There 
will be fever, loss of appetite, etc. In the majority 
of cases all that can be done is to treat the symp- 
toms. In the early stages, when the pulse is hard 
and fast, and the animal in good flesh, give from 
twenty to twenty-five drops of tincture of aconite 
in a little water every two hours until the pulse 
becomes softer; also give half an ounce nitrate of 
potassium in drinking water three times a day; and 
if the bowels are constipated, give from one and 
one-half pints to a quart of raw linseed oil. If the 
animal is in much pain, give one dram of powdered 
opium in a ball or in gruel three times daily. Some- 
times there is benefit obtained by applying a blis- 
ter to the left side. As the disease progresses the 



100 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

pulse becomes weak, and the breathing short and 
quick, and the legs and ears are cold; and in cattle 
the membrane of the nose is dry and cold, there is 
general stiffness, and in the horse swellings appear 
on the legs and under the bell}^ In cattle gener- 
ally under the belly and in the dewlap. The horse 
generally stands through the disease, but cattle 
will lie down on their right side. The animal 
moans and grinds its teeth, and looks around every 
now and then toward its left side. When effusion 
takes place in the cavity you can, on applying the 
ear to the left side, hear a splash at each beat of 
the heart. After death I have found a large quan- 
tity of liquid around the heart, and in* some cases 
a regular covering of cheesy pus between the heart 
and the sack. In several cases of cows, which have 
died from this disease, I have found a piece of darn- 
ing needle, which had made its way from the stom- 
ach to the heart, setting up inflammation, causing 
death. It is strange how many cases of this kind 
are reported to have taken place in cows. 

Endocarditis. — Inflammation of the inner lining 
of the heart, and is usually complicated with rheu- 
matic disease. This is a very dangerous disease, 
and if it does not kill in the acute stage it is very 
likely to leave thickening of the valves of the heart, 
which will interfere with the passage of the blood 
through the heart, preventing the animal from 
doing fast or heavy work. 

Symptoms : There is a very decided interference 
with the action of the heart ; the beat is very irreg- 
ular and violent in its action, compared with the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 101 

smallness of the pulse beat in the artery of the jaw. 
There is a high fever ; the breathing is not much al- 
tered in the first stage of the disease. On applying 
the ear to the left side or root of the neck you will 
hear a loud metallic sound at each heart beat, and 
there will be a marked venous pulse caused by the 
action of the disease on the valves of the heart. If 
the inflammation is not checked, the inner lining 
swells, narrowing the opening with which the 
valves are connected, so that only a small quantity 
of blood will pass through, suffocation, with quick, 
short breathing and great distress; and if not re- 
lieved, the animal soon dies. 

Treatment: I give a dose of aloes, and follow 
this by giving half-ounce doses of nitrate of potass, 
and chlorate of potassium. Also give tincture of 
aconite, twenty to thirty drops, combined with the 
same quantity of fluid extract of digitalis three or 
four times a day in a pint of water. Mustard poul- 
tices should be applied to the left side, and blank- 
ets be put on, and the legs hand-rubbed and ban- 
daged. 

Dilatation of the Heart. — I have seen several 
well-marked cases, and they all presented the same 
symptoms, namely, inability to work; as long as 
the animal was allowed to keep quiet, it seemed as 
if nothing was wrong with it; but as soon as it was 
driven fast or made to pull a load or plow, it would 
breathe fast and show signs of suffocation, and if 
forced to move on would fall over, and lie on its 
side with its* mouth open. After a few minutes the 
animal would recover its breath and rise in an ex- 



102 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

liausted state; but very soon it would seem as if 
nothing had happened to it. vSome of the cases 
were not quite so severe as the above; they could 
do a fair amount of slow work and light loads. 
One day I was called to see a fine black horse, the 
property of a brewer. The driver complained that 
if the load was heavy or if the horse was driven 
fast, it Avould stop, breathe fast, and seemed as if 
it would choke. I examined the horse, and found 
it was suffering from dilatation of the heart, and 
informed the owner of the fact, and said if the 
horse was made to pull a heavy load or be driven 
fast it would likely drop and die. The horse ac- 
cordingly was put to slow, light work, until one day 
it had to take the x)lace of another horse, and on go- 
ing up a hill, when about half way up, it wanted to 
stop, but the driver whipped it on, as he did not 
want to stop on the middle of the hill, and before 
he reached the top the animal fell suffocated and 
died. I made an examination and found the left 
side of the heart was greatly dilated. This dis- 
ease may sometimes be mistaken for lung trouble. 
In dilatation there is no cough, and when the ani- 
mal is quiet it seems all right; but if the pulse is 
examined it will be feeble, irregular, marked ven 
ous pulse, especially when the animal is moved 
The legs are usually cold, and there may be a tend 
ency to stock. As the disease advances the ani 
mal begins to lose flesh and the system generally 
becomes deranged; and if the animal is not used 
for work, it will gradually get worse, swell under 
the belly and legs, and after a time die ; but usually 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 103 

the animal dies suddenly from over-exertion. 
Treatment is of no service. 

Hypertrophy of the heart is an increase in its 
size, the walls becoming very thick. There are 
three forms of this trouble. First, when the walls 
are thickened and the cavities retain their capa- 
city; second, when the cavity becomes enlarged; 
third, when the walls thicken and diminish the size 
of the cavit3\ Leblanc says the origin of this dis- 
ease depends on a chronic form of inflammation in 
its walls. 

Symptoms: The impulse of the heart is much 
stronger than natural, and can be felt lower down ; 
the sound is louder and metallic. In some cases 
that I have seen the impulse of the heart could be 
seen on the right side as well as the left. On look- 
ing at a horse's sides affected with hypertrophy, 
you can see the motion, and sometimes it can be 
heard at a little distance. There is no cure for it, 
and the animal may do slow, light work for a few 
years. 

Rupture of the heart sometimes occurs in the 
horse from over-exertion and shocks; such as strik- 
ing against some solid body, the result of falls. 
Sometimes a horse may drop on the race-course 
from rupture of the heart. Sudden fright will cause 
it. I remember one case of rupture in a young- 
mare from being forced up to a locomotive. The 
animal began to tremble violently and dropped 
dead in a few minutes. A post-mortem revealed 
rupture of the left ventricle of the heart. I men- 
tion this, as I do not think it wise to force a horse 



104 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

up to anything it is very mncli afraid of. There 
are a number of other diseases of the heart which 
are not well marked ; and it is only after death that 
we discover the true nature of the disease. In some 
forms of heart disease an animal may do a fair 
amount of work and keep in good condition and 
still die from heart trouble; but the majority be- 
come unfit for hard work, and show some of the 
general signs of heart disease, which are: Difficult 
breathing on exertion, irregular beating of the 
heart, cold extremities, loss of flesh, and toward the 
end swelling of the legs and belly. The appetite 
usually remains good until near the end. 

Injuries to the Arteries. — An accident of this 
kind to the horse or cattle is rare ; but it does hap- 
pen that an artery is cut or otherwise injured, and 
it is necessary to know how to remedy it. The walls 
of arteries are elastic, and when cut comjDletely 
across will contract or be drawn into the tissue, 
and in this way arrest bleeding; but if the artery is 
pricked or only partially cut by contraction of its 
elastic walls it will keep the cut open. When blood 
is exposed to the air it clots and plugs up the 
mouth of the artery; but if the artery is of any 
size, the force of the blood through it will force out 
any clot that may form. In this case the bleeding 
can only be stopped by pressure or by ligature. If 
the wound is deep and the artery cannot be easily 
found, plug it with cotton batting dipped in linseed 
oil eight parts, carbolic acid one part. Let this 
remain in for twenty-four hours, then withdraw it. 
Usually after the bleeding has been stopped for 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 105 

twent} -four liour^ the vessel is closed. When an 
artery is lacerated or torn it seldom bleeds much, 
as the torn coats are of unequal length, usually con- 
tracting iuAvard, and consequently there is very lit- 
tle hemorrhage. Bleeding from an artery is known 
by the jerking stream of bright red blood which is 
pushed from the wound with considerable force. 
As the animal loses considerable blood and is be- 
coming weak the jerking is more perceptible. 

Treatment: Cold and hot water have both been 
recommended. The cold causes contraction, but 
prevents coagulation. Heat causes coagulation, 
but prevents contraction. I find in the majority of 
cases cold water is the most useful to stop bleeding 
from small vessels. In tying an artery it requires 
to be taken up with a pair of artery forceps and a 
silk thread tied firmly. In most cases both ends of 
the vessel require to be tied. Tie the end next the 
heart first, and if there is no bleeding from the 
other it need not be tied. Pressure at some distance 
or on the wound will be of service in some cases. 
Thus about the coronet, where there are a number 
of vessels, it is difficult to tie them all; and I find 
the best means of stopping the blood is to put on a 
pad, then a tight bandage; and if this does not stop 
it, take a small piece of rope, tie a knot on it, put 
the knot on the top of the pad, bring the ends of the 
rope around the pastern and tie it tight; this 
brings the pressure right on the spot. In two hours 
slacken the rope a little, but do not take it off, in 
case of starting bleeding again. In twenty-four 
hours the rope should be taken off, but the pad 



106 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

should remain on for three clays; then it can be re- 
moved and the wound dressed. 

Aneurism is a tumor formed by coagulated ar- 
terial blood within a dilated artery, or between the 
several coats of such a vessel, or externally to it. 
Aneurisms may form in any of the arteries, but 
the superficial ones are usually found in the neck 
and legs. They are soft tumors, which appear in 
the course of the artery and pulsate at the same 
time as the heart beats. On applying the ear to 
the tumor a peculiar sound will be heard resem- 
bling hissing. If it is considered advisable to treat 
it, it is best done by dissecting out the tumor and 
applying a ligature to the artery above and below. 
Then cut off the tumor, but if it is not interfering 
with the animaPs usefulness, it is best to let it 
alone. 

Venous Hemorrhage. — An animal can lose much 
more blood from a vein without any danger to its 
life than from an artery, as the blood runs more 
slowly, and it has given up its nourishment to the 
tissues before it reaches the vein. The hemorrhage 
from a vein should be stopped by pressure or by pin- 
ning up the wound, as it is a bad and dangerous 
practice to tie a large vein, as they are made up 
from the union of a number of small veins, and if 
the trunk vein istied, the small ones have no place 
to empty themselves, and the result would be stag- 
nation of the vessels covering a large surface. Not 
so with the arteries. The blood is flowing from the 
large vessel to the small ones; and if the large one 
is tied, the collaterals will become enlarged, and 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 107 

thereby carry on the circulation. Unless in cases 
of great emergency it should never be done. 

Phlebitis (Inflammation of a Vein) — It is seldom 
that we see a case of this disease nowadays, as 
there are so few horses bled ; but it may take place 
without any apparent cause. Usually it is caused 
by an injury. A vein may be injured and a little 
blood from it may get into its sheath or the sur- 
rounding tissues and set up inflammation of the 
vein and the tissue around it. 

Treatment : Bathe the part with cold water and 
apply acetate of lead, one ounce; tincture of ar- 
nica, two ounces; water, one quart. Use this free- 
ly and often. If the inflammation does not seem 
to be easily removed, put on a blister of canthar- 
ides, two drams ; lard, one ounce ; repeat in a week 
if necessary. Give nitrate of potassium in half- 
ounce doses, three times a day for a few days, to 
keep down fever. If the bowels are constipated, 
give a dose of aloes. Varicose veins are sometimes 
seen about the legs of horses ; and it is seldom they 
do any harm ; but if they are developing^ even pres- 
sure may be applied by means of pads and band- 
ages, and a stringent lotion made of tannin, one 
ounce; water, one quart. Apply while using the 
bandage. If the walls become thin and the vessel 
bursts, keep the animal quiet and apply the tinc- 
ture of iron and bandage as above. 

Purpura Hemorrhagica is an exudation of 
blood through the walls of the blood vessels, the 
result of debilitating disease, such as strangles, in- 
fluenza, etc. It may be caused from a deranged 



108 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

condition of the blood vessels and other tissues of 
the body by animals kept in badly ventilated sta- 
bles; also from innutritions food. 

Symptoms of the disease are swelling of various 
parts of the body, more particularly about the head 
and face ; they pit on pressure by the finger. In the 
course of a few days a bloody water exudes from 
the membrane of the nose and eyes. Very soon 
after it will be seen to ooze from the swollen parts. 
In some cases sloughing may take place. The pulse 
is very weak and fast, eighty to one hundred; the 
temperature never reaches a high point. The urine 
is scanty and high colored. If the intestines should 
be affected there will be diarrhoea mixed with 
blood and the animal may be affected with colicky 
pains. The lungs, liver aiid brain may become in- 
volved, and the animal soon dies. If the case is of 
mild form and properly treated it may recover. 

Treatment: Give one ounce each of tincture of 
gentian, ginger, iron, and spirits of nitric ether at 
a dose in a pint of water twice a day ; and give at 
noon one dram of nitro-hydrochloric acid in a pint 
of water. I find this the most successful treatment. 
Half-ounce doses of nitrate of potassium once daily 
in the drinking water will be useful to act on the 
kidneys. External applications are of no value in 
this disease. 

DISEASES OP THE LYMPHATICS. 

The lymphatic system is composed of a set of 
vessels, quite as numerous as the veins, and they 
ramify through every portion of the body where 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 109 

blood vessels are found. These lymphatic vessels 
sooner or later pass into lymphatic glands, which 
are very numerous in the fore legs and under and 
between the lower jaws and other parts of the 
body. The use of these vessels is to collect sur- 
plus fluid which exudes through the blood vessels, 
as Avell as waste products, and convey them into 
the circulation. The use of the glands through 
which these vessels pass is to purify in some way 
this fluid before it reaches the blood vessels. 
When the system gets overcharged with these ma- 
terials, the lymphatics become distended, and in 
some cases inflamed. 

Inflammation of the lymphatics is called Lym- 
phangitis. This disease can be caused by several 
conditions. First: Horses with a sluggish circu- 
lation are predisposed to this disease, animals that 
are over-fed and have not sufficient exercise or ani- 
mals that are half -starved and over- worked, sudden 
exposure to cold and wet. A common cause of this 
disease is feeding a horse that is idle or that has 
very little Avork and too much nutritive food; the 
system soon gets blocked up, and if the animal does 
not take an attack of lymphangitis it will suffer in 
some other form. When a horse is to be idle for a 
time its allowance of food should be cut down, and 
if the animal should become reduced, then increase 
it a little, but a horse allowed to stand eating all 
day and night is almost sure to suffer some ill ef- 
fects. On the other hand, when a horse is over- 
worked and under-fed, the whole system becomes 
weak and the lymphatics are not able to do their 



110 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

work, and swelling of the legs takes place. It is 
also the result of disease, especially distemper and 
influenza, which have a tendency to affect the 
glands. 

Symptoms: It usually begins with a chill anA a 
rise in the temperature, very soon followed by 
lameness. Often a horse may seem all right at 
night, and in the morning one or both hind legs 
will be so sore and stiff that the animal will not 
move. If only one hind leg is affected, he will hold 
it up, and if made to move it will not put it to 
the ground, but hop off on three legs, which often 
gives the animal the appearance as if its leg was 
broken. The animal will be breathing fast and 
heavy, and if made to move may groan with pain ; 
andlhave seen some cases where if you rubbed your 
hand up the inside of the leg the animal would lift 
it so high as to over-balance and sometimes fall. 
The glands on the inside of the thigh will be hard 
and feel like a rope under the fingers, and hot and 
tender; this will at once let you know the nature 
of the disease. In the course of a few hours the leg 
will begin to swell from the foot, caused by a fill- 
ing up of the lymphatic vessels, and as they be- 
come distended they, too, will become inflamed and 
hot. In some cases the leg will swell to an enormous 
size, and it may be that the skin may crack or 
a thin fluid may ooze out. There is considerable 
fever and a full j)ulse, from sixty to seventy, and 
the animal will not eat, but may drink consider- 
able; and if it should lie down, it Avill be unable 
to rise until turned over on the well side. A horse 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. Ill 

affected with this trouble seldom lies down. Usu- 
ally the urine is scant}- and the bowels constipat- 
ed. If the inflammation is not relieved in a day 
or two the glands may undergo suppuration, and 
blood poisoning may take place, and the animal 
may die, or the leg may remain thick from oblitera- 
tion of the lymphatics. This is a disease that is 
easil}^ treated if taken in time. 

Treatment: Find the cause and then treat ac- 
cordingly. If it is caused by the animal's having 
too much food and not enough exercise, give aloes 
one ounce, carbonate of soda one ounce, ginger^one 
ounce; dissolve in half a pint of boiling water, add 
half a pint of cold water, and give at one dose. 
Also give twenty to thirty drops of tincture of a.con- 
ite every two hours until the pulse becomes slower. 
Also give half an ounce of nitrate of potass, in the 
drinking water three times a day, bathe the legs 
with hot water for an hour at a time, then apply 
acetate of lead half an ounce, tincture of opium 
two ounces, water one quart. Rub in with the 
hand. Do this every hour, and keep the animal in 
a comfortable place. Usually in twentj^-four hours 
the physic has operated and the potassium has in- 
creased the secretion of urine, and the hot water 
and lotion have reduced the inflammation, and the 
animal can move about with ease. Give gentle 
exercise two or three times a day for twenty min- 
utes at a time. In cases where it is caused by over- 
working and poor food, or from reducing diseases, 
such as influenza and distemper, treatment should 
be of a stimulating and tonic nature. Give one ounce 



112 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

each of tincture chloride of iron, tincture of gen- 
tian and ginger at a dose in a pint of water three 
times a day. Give good hay and oats, and apply 
the above lotion to the swollen legs. In cases, as 
it sometimes happens, that matter forms in the 
glands of the thigh, wash with warm water, and 
use acetate of lead half an ounce, sulphate of zinc 
half an ounce, carbolic acid half an ounce, water 
one quart; apply a little twice a day. If the parts 
should become fungied, apply a little terchloride 
of antimony with a feather once or twice. In two 
days use the lotion again. It sometimes happens 
that the leg from the hock to the foot remains 
thick, caused either from weakness of the lymphat- 
ics *or from their being destroyed by the inflam- 
mation. In this case it is difficult to remove the 
chronic swelling. Try arsenic in the form of Fow- 
ler's solution in one ounce doses once a day in bran 
mash, and continue it for a month. Also rub on the 
leg twice a week iodine two drams, vaseline two 
ounces. I have seen some cases yield to this treat- 
ment. Grease, which is sometimes the result of 
this disease, will be described under the head of 
skin diseases. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 113 



CHAPTER VII. 

DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 

A short description of the kidneys is necessary 
so that we may have a better idea of the causes and 
nature of their diseases. The kidneys are two glan- 
dular organs situated in the lumbar region of the 
back. They are composed of a number of tubes 
and tufts, around which the blood vessels run. The 
supply of blood to the kidneys is very large for the 
size of these organs. The tubes begin very small 
at the surface of the kidney and are very numer- 
ous; they soon join each other, becoming larger, 
and finallj' terminate in a part of the kidney 
termed the pelvis. At the lower border from this 
place there is a small duct which leads to the blad- 
der, through which the urine passes. The use of 
the kidneys is to secrete the water and effete mat- 
ters in the form of urine and uric acid, which would 
soon poison the body if it remained there. The 
blood vessels ramify around the tubes, and the 
epithelium of the tubes secrete the urine from the 
blood, and if we consider the quantity of urine 
which is secreted daily, we need not wonder at the 
size of the blood vessels which go to and from the 
kidneys. If from want of action, from disease, or 
otherwise the kidneys did not secrete this material 



114 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

from the blood, the animal would soon suffer from 
a form of blood poisoning called uremic. The 
quantit}^ of urine secreted varies very much in the 
same animal. The weather has a great deal to do 
with the amount secreted. Animals pass more 
urine in winter than in summer, as heat increases 
the quantity removed by the skin and lessens the 
amount passed by the kidneys. Work lessens it, as 
more passes off by the skin. The food the animals 
eat alters Yerj much the quality and quantity. If 
animals such as the horse are fed on straw, the 
urine is usually of a whitish color, if on timothy 
hay or clover hay usually dark. Thick, creamy urine 
is the result of a sluggish condition of the kidneys, 
while coffee colored and scanty urine is the result 
of fever and a partial congestive state of the secre- 
tive organs in different parts of the body. An in- 
crease in the quantity and of a clear or light yellow 
color denotes either over-stimulation or it is seen 
in cold weather, and on account of it not being 
irritant the time between voiding it has been pro- 
longed. On the other hand, if it is passed in quan- 
tities and often, and the animal is very thirsty, it 
is a symptom of a disease which will be described 
hereafter. As long as an animal is in good condi- 
tion and spirits and has a good apj_3etite no notice 
need be taken of the urine. Diseases of the urinary 
organs are very rare in animals, but as they do 
happen sometimes I will describe a few of them. 

Nephritis (Inflammation of the Kidneys). — In- 
flammation of the kidneys is caused from exposure 
to cold when the animal is heated, kicks, and other 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 115 

injuries; also from too strong diuretic medicines, 
such as resin, saltpetre, and cantharides, and some- 
times from the animal eating too astringent vege- 
tables and weeds. 

Symptoms: The animal stands with its hind 
legs wide apart, is stiff, and the back somewhat 
arched, and if the animal is made to move will 
groan, has very little inclination to lie down, and if 
it does it is with great care and does not roll; but 
it is very seldom that it tries to lie down, as it 
causes too much pain. The animal may show 
symptoms; of colic pains by looking around at its 
flanks. The secretions of urine are scanty and high 
colored, and the animal is constantly passing it in 
small quantities, or it may be only in drops. On 
account of it irritating the bladder it is passed as 
soon as it reaches it. Sometimes after the disease 
has existed for a few days blood and pus may be 
passed. The pulse is fast, from eighty to ninety, 
the mouth is hot and clammy, the bowels consti- 
pated, the thirst great, the breathing fast and 
short, and as the disease advances it becomes very 
foul smelling. The sweat which will appear on 
different parts of the body has a strong odor of 
urine. If the animal is not soon released uremic 
poisoning takes place, causing exhaustion and 
sometimes coma. The animal falls, struggles for 
awhile, and dies. It will assist us to make an ex- 
ploration of the bladder through the rectum. If it 
is the kidneys that are at fault, the bladder will be 
found empty, and by gentle pressure upwards and 
forwards from the bladder the kidnevs can be felt 



116 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

and the slightest pressure will cause extreme pain 
to the animal. Pressure on the outside of the back 
is no sign, as some animals will flinch at the slight- 
est rubbing or pressure, while others will take no 
notice of it. Examination will disclose kidney 
casts and sometimes matter. 

Treatment: Put the animal in a comfortable 
place and allow all the cold water it can drink, 
with two drams of chlorate of potassium in it, 
three or four times daily. Three-ounce doses liquor 
acetate of ammonia given several times a day, in- 
jections of soap and water to clean out the bowels, 
and a hot sheepskin put over the loins and kept 
there by blankets are useful. If the fever and tem- 
perature run high give two drams of antifebrin 
every three hours until sweating takes place and 
the fever is reduced. After the third day if the 
urine is very scanty and the breath foul smelling, 
small doses one to two ounces of sweet spirits of 
nitre should be given in water and poultices of 
digitalis powder applied over the loins and kept 
there until the secretions are increased. One- 
ounce doses of tincture of chloride of iron given 
three times a day in a little water is of service. 

Hematuria (Blood with the Urine). — This dis- 
ease affects both horses and cattle. It appears in 
two forms, idiopathic and traumatic. Traumatic 
hematuria is caused by strains or injuries. A well- 
marked case of this kind came to me for treatment. 
The horse was drawing a load of stones on a tram- 
car, and on going down an incline the brakes of the 
car broke, and the car and load went forward on 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 117 

the horse, knocking it down and bruising it very 
much over the loins. The horse was gotten up 
with difficulty and walked very stiff. Shortly after 
it was noticed to be passing blood with its urine, 
and passed blood without urine. On the following 
morning the animal was in a high fever, and pass- 
ing considerable blood. I ordered cold water to 
the loins, and gave one dram acetate of lead, one 
dram powdered opium, and ten drops Fleming's 
tincture of aconite at a dose every three hours, 
until four doses were given. The bleeding ceased 
and the animal seemed better. It was kept quiet 
and got boiled flaxseed mixed in bran mash, and 
in two weeks was able to resume its work. There 
are slighter cases of hematuria, in which the horse 
is stiff, and when made to move is sore over the 
loins, and there may be fever and loss of power of 
the hind legs and the passing of a little blood, 
which clots on the floor as the urine separates from 
it. The following prescription will be found of 
service: Acetate of lead thirty grains, acetate of 
zinc thirty grains, catechu two drams. Mix and 
give at one dose in a ball or gruel. Repeat three 
times a day until checked. Give the animal plenty 
of cold water to drink and keep it as quiet as pos- 
sible. In some cases a horse that has had its kid- 
neys injured is very liable to pass blood if it is 
put to fast work or drawing heavy loads, and is 
unsound. 

Idiopathic Hematuria is a disease observed un- 
der a great variety of circumstances. It occurs 
among horses, cattle and sheep, as an enzootic dis- 



118 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ease, and it is remarkable that there are districts 
where the disease prevails among horses. There 
are others where it prevails among cattle of all 
kinds, male and female, and there are still others 
when it affects only cows after parturition. 
(Gamgee.) 

Symptoms : There is a copious discharge of dark 
or red-colored urine and it does not separate into 
clots on the floor, the blood having been broken up 
in the system before being passed. The animal 
moves stiff and is weak on its hind legs. The pulse 
is fast, from seventy to eighty, and there is a loss of 
appetite. As the disease advances the animal be- 
comes weaker, the breathing difficult, and with a 
few convulsive struggles it dies. 

Treatment consists of giving the horse one ounce 
aloes and one ounce ginger dissolved in hot water. 
Follow this by giving one ounce tincture of chloride 
of iron, one ounce tincture of ginger, and one ounce 
tincture of gentian at a dose three times a day in a 
half pint of water. Boiled flaxseed mixed with 
bran is useful if the animj^l will take it. Give plen- 
ty of cold water, and allow the animal anything it 
will eat. The same treatment is good for cattle; 
but give Epsom salts instead of aloes to cattle and 
sheep — one and one-half pounds for cattle and 
one-quarter pound for sheep at a dose. 

Polyuria (Diuresis Polyuria Diabetes Insipi- 
dus). — This disease is characterized by frequent 
and abundant discharge of urine. The cause of this 
disease is not Avell understood, but it usually fol- 
lows wet seasons, when the hay, straw and oats 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 119 

have been exposed to rains and are more or less 
musty. Musty ha}-, straw or grains of any kind, 
if fed to animals, are very apt to set up some dis- 
order, either of the stomach or kidneys. The symp- 
toms of the disease are intense thirst; passing great 
quantities of water of a clear color, as there is very 
little salts or coloring matter in it ; the appetite is 
depraved, the animal will lick the plaster off the 
wall, or eat earth or dirt ; the animal becomes rap- 
idly emaciated, and will soon die from exhaustion 
if the disease is not stopped. 

Treatment: Iodine is a specific in this disease; 
it is given in dram doses. First dissolve in a little 
alcohol, then add one-half pint of water or give it 
in a ball. Give it three times a day. Usually two 
or three doses will stop it. Follow this up by giv- 
ing one dram sulphate of iron in the morning and a 
teaspoonful of phosphate of calcium in the even- 
ing in bran mash. Continue this for three weeks. 

Ischuria (Suppression of Urine). — When there is 
a stoppage or very scanty passage of urine it will 
be necessary to find the cause of the stoppage, 
whether it is the kidneys which are not secreting 
urine, or if it is a stopping up of the passages. 
Clean out the rectum, then oil the hand and pass 
it into the rectum and feel for the bladder, which 
will be felt below the bowel about eight or ten 
inches in from the entrance. If the bladder is full 
it can be easily felt. If it is emptj- , you cannot feel 
it. If it is empty, the kidneys are at fault. It is 
then termed ischuria. Sup-pression is caused by 
over-stimulation of the kidneys or feeding innu- 



120 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tritious food. Nephritis is especially due to an 
overdose of cantharides. In fevers also the urine 
often becomes scanty and acid. It is then irritat- 
ing, and is passed off in drops or small quantities. 
If there is true suppression of urine, symptoms of 
blood poisoning will occur, as the elements of the 
urine are retained in the blood. We also find slug- 
gishness of the kidneys in old horses, especially if 
overworked. The urine passed may be either of a 
red-brown color or of a thick, milky appearance. 

Treatment: If it is caused from fevers, give ni- 
trate of potassium in half-ounce doses three times 
a day in the drinking water. If it is causing much 
irritation of the bladder and other passages, give 
two ounces spirits of nitric ether and one ounce 
buchu tincture. Mix and give in half a pint of 
cold water three times a day. If in old, worn-out 
horses, give sulphate of iron, two ounces ; nitrate 
of potass., two ounces; powdered digitalis, one 
ounce; mix and divide into twelve doses, one to be 
given twice a day in bran mash. In all cases feed 
good hay and oats. Atrophy and hypertrophy of 
kidneys are occasionally found in both horses and 
cattle. It is often found that when one kidney is 
affected with atrophy the other most likely will 
become hypertrophied and it will be found twice 
its natural size. Atrophy of the kidneys is often 
found in the pig, and it is mentioned by Gamgee 
that one kidney has been absent, and its fibrous 
capsule alone remaining, distended by a yellow 
fluid of a strong urinous odor, whereas its fellow 
was very much enlarged and the animals were in 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 121 

good health. Hypertrophy is a common disease 
in cattle and is met with in some of the finest and 
fattest oxen. Cases are recorded in which the 
kidneys have weighed twenty-four to tAventy-seven 
pounds. When they attain this condition the ani- 
mal becomes unhealthy and loses flesh and soon 
dies. There are no well-marked symptoms by 
which atrophy and hypertrophy can be detected 
until after death. 

Worms in Kidneys. — This is said to be a disease 
of the hog; but worms have been found in the kid- 
neys of the dog. I remember a case of a dog used 
for dissection, which was in perfect health, and in 
one of its kidneys I found three worms about one 
inch in length and the color of the kidney. They 
w^ere alive. They are frequently found in the kid- 
ney and liver of pigs which are in good health and 
condition, and I do not know of any case in which 
they destroyed any animal. The disease which is 
called kidney-worm in the hog is a deranged condi- 
tion of the nerves of the back and loins, causing 
them to lose the use of their hind parts. If they 
were affected by the worms the symptoms would 
be those of kidney disease and not of i^aralysis. 

Cystitis (Inflammation of the Bladder). — This is 
a very rare disease in the domestic animals, and 
when it is present it is usually caused by giving 
the animal too strong diuretics, such as canthar- 
ides; injuries, irritating urine, and sometimes from 
inflammation of the surrounding parts. Inflam- 
mation may involve the whole of the organ or only 
part. The neck is the part usually affected. 



122 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Symptoms : There is retention of urine, as the 
bladder does not contract, and therefore the water 
is not expelled. The animal suffers pain and is in 
great distress, is stiff in its movements, pokes its 
nose between its legs, and shows symptoms of colic, 
but seldom lies down. There is a loss of appetite, 
the mouth is dry and red, and there is fever; pulse 
from eighty to a hundred in the ox, and from sev- 
enty to eighty in the horse. The urine may be 
passed in small quantities and will be thick and 
high colored. At first the animal is much excited, 
and if not soon relieved great prostration sui)er- 
venes. Cold sweats bedew the body; there is 
trembling of the muscles, paralysis of the hind 
legs, and the animal dies. 

Treatment: Clean out the rectum, then oil the 
hand and feel for the bladder; the animal evinces 
pain when the part is pressed upon, and the blad- 
der is hot, and in some cases distended with urine. 
In this case the first thing to do is to pass the ca- 
theter to remove the urine ; this will give the ani- 
mal great relief. Give a dose of raw linseed oil, 
from a pint to a quart, according to the size of the 
animal. Give the animal all the water it will 
drink; half an ounce of gum arable dissolved in 
the pail of water is very useful. Use hot fomenta- 
tions to the back part of the abdomen. If there is 
much fever give twenty to twenty-five drops of tinc- 
ture of aconite every two hours in a little cold 
water. If there is great suffering give iDowdered 
opium in dram doses every three hours until re- 
lieved. Also inject through the catheter infusion 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 123 

of opium three or four times a day. Keep the ani- 
mal warm and as comfortable as possible 

Retention of Urine. — The causes are numerous. 
Hertwig mentions, first, inflammation of the neck 
of the bladder or of the urethra ; second, paralj^sis 
of bladder or spasms of its neck; third, stones in 
the bladder or a polypus in the neck of the bladder; 
fourth, stones in the urinary passage; fifth, con- 
traction of the passage; sixth, obstructions at the 
mouth of the opening, and in some few cases from 
an accumulation of mucous in the passage. I re- 
member having a well-marked case of this kind in 
an old horse which was troubled with albuminous 
urine: one morning the animal was in great dis- 
tress, stretching out and making ineffectual at- 
tempts to pass urine, showing signs of colic, lying 
down carefully , getting up again, and in a contin- 
uous state of unrest. I was called to see the ani- 
mal, and in looking it over I discovered a lump on 
the urethra a little below the root of the tail, and 
on feeling it, it was soft; I pressed it up and down 
for a few minutes, when it finally gave away, and 
the next minute the animal passed off a large quan- 
tity of urine and was at once relieved. The gen- 
eral symptoms of this trouble are: The animal 
makes ineffectual attempts to pass urine and 
shows signs of pain, kicks with its hind feet, lies 
down very carefully, but soon gets up again. The 
method of finding the true nature of the disease 
is to examine the track of the passage to see if 
there is any external obstruction; if none is found, 
then clean out the rectum and introduce your hand, 



124 DISEASES OP" HORSES AND CATTLE. 

well oiled; if there is retention, the bladder will 
be easily felt greatly distended, and sometimes 
gentle pressure of the hand will cause the urine 
to pass out and relieve the animal. If this cannot 
be done, then it will be necessary to pass up the 
catheter until you come to the obstruction. The 
obstruction is sometimes found to be caused by the 
deposit of a putty-like substance, which can easily 
be removed by breaking dowm with the finger. If 
this substance should remain in long it would 
harden into stone, and in some cases it does this 
and the urine passes through an opening in its cen- 
ter or on one side, and by degrees it closes the pas- 
sage. I have met with several cases of this kind. 
They can usually be removed by a pair of forceps 
or may be pressed out. If this cannot be done, 
make an incision at one side, then it can be re- 
moved by the finger. If the obstruction is found 
further up the passage and cannot be broken down 
by the catheter it will be necessary to cut down 
upon it with the knife and remove it, then pass 
through the edges of the wound a small pin on 
which is tied a small piece of string in the form 
of a figure eight; this will close the wound. Let 
the pin remain in until it sloughs out. If the ca- 
theter reaches the neck of the bladder and stops 
there, do not press too hard, but give a little time for 
the part to dilate; if this does not take place in a 
few minutes, withdraw the catheter and smear the 
end of it with a little extract of belladonna and 
press it up to the neck and allow a little time for 
it to take effect. If you do not succeed in this way. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 125 

give the animal one ounce of chloroform in half a 
pint of raw linseed oil. Introduce the catheter 
with a little more belladonna on it. Also inject 
large quantities of hot water into the rectum, and 
after an hour's time the neck will usually relax and 
the catheter will pass in, or the urine may flow out. 
If it does not relax, it will then be necessary to use 
considerable pressure on the catheter. Never give 
horses medicine to act on the kidneys when there 
is retention of urine before you make an exam- 
ination and find the cause, as great injury may be 
done by causing an increase of urine into an over- 
distended bladder. In the ox the catheter cannot 
be passed as in the horse. The course of the ure- 
thra must be traced and an incision made into ic 
about four inches down from the root of the tail, 
then pass the catheter through the incision in the 
bladder and the urine will flow out. The wound 
should be closed by pins or stitches, as before men- 
tioned. 

Paralysis of the Bladder. — Paralysis of the blad- 
der is a cause of retention, and is best treated by 
giving the animal nux vomica, two ounces; sul- 
phate of iron, four ounces ; divide into twenty-four 
doses and give the animal one twice daily in its 
food, meantime removing the urine by the cathe- 
ter. The result of over-distention of the bladder 
is paralysis of its walls or rupture. The first may 
be cured by giving the above medicine, the latter 
is always fatal. I have seen only one case of rup- 
ture. 

Enuresis. — Incontinence of urine consists of a 



126 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

dribbling of urine, usually caused by a relaxed 
state of the neck of the bladder and sometimes 
from irritability of the bladder, as in certain dis- 
orders of its lining membrane or from calculi, and 
when the urine is very scanty and acid. 

Treatment: Find the cause. If it is caused by 
relaxation, give the animal one dram of the fluid 
extract of nux vomica three times a day; also one 
ounce tincture of chloride of iron; these can be 
given together in a pint of gruel or linseed tea. If 
it is from calculi, it will have to be removed; 'if 
from irritation, inject a solution of gum arable in 
which half an ounce of tincture of opium has been 
mixed. If from too scanty or acid urine, give ni- 
trate of potass, in one-half ounce doses, mixed with 
half an ounce buchu extract, three times daily in 
a pint of water. Incontinence of urine is some- 
times seen in foals from nonclosure of the urachus, 
a tube which leads from the base of the bladder 
to the navel cord, and the urine is seen to drop or 
run from it. The best remedy for this is to plaster 
plenty of prepared chalk on the navel as often as 
necessary. This will dry up the cord and cause it 
to contract and by degrees stop the passage of 
urine in that direction. It is bad practice to tie 
the cord to stop it, as it is almost sure to set up 
inflammation and kill the colt. 

Inversion of the bladder is seen in the 
female animal, and is due to violent strain- 
ing, although it has been seen to follow the 
administration of irritant medicine. The symp- 
toms are a red tumor projecting from the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. • 127 

vulva, and having the urine constantly dropping 
from it. If it is not put back in its place, the urine 
will excoriate the parts and the}^ will swell to such 
a degree that replacing is impossible, and it will 
be better to destroy the animal. Before replacing 
it bathe it for twenty minutes with acetate of lead 
two drams, tincture of opium one ounce, water one 
pint. Then press gently on its center with the fin- 
gers and it will return easily. The animal should 
get two drams of powdered opium in a pint of gruel 
and should be watched, as it is liable to be pressed 
out again. 

Calculi. — There is a tendency in some animals, 
from a condition of the urine, to deposit solid ma- 
terial in some part of the urinary organs. This 
tendency cannot- be accounted for. I have seen 
a number of horses and cattle kept on the same 
farm, getting the same food, water and care; one of 
the lot becomes affected with a deposit, while the 
rest remain exempt. We have no means, therefore, 
of preventing it. It is said by some to be caused by 
clover hay and water that contains too much lime, 
but in my practice I have not seen any more cases 
in those fed largely on clover or in those whose 
drinking water was largely impregnated with lime. 
So we will have to put it down to a peculiar condi- 
tion of the body of the animal to form the sub- 
stances necessary for the formation of calculi. 
Gravel is the name given to this derangement when 
the deposit is in small crystalline form like sand. 
This form is oftenest seen in the mare. When it is 
in a solid, hard body it is called a stone (calculus). 



12S DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

There is also sometimes a deposit of a softer nature 
resembling putty. The following is the average 
analysis of the calculi of the horse: 

Carbonate of lime, 85.03 ; carbonate of magnesia, 
3.62; phosphate of lime, 5.81; organic matter, 
4.21; water and loss, 1.33; total, 100.00. 

In cattle: Carbonate of lime, 84.8; carbonate of 
magnesia, 10.00; carbonate of iron, 0.6; organic 
matter, 1.6; water and loss, 3.00; silicic acid incon- 
sistent, 100.00. 

In the horse and ox carbonate of lime is present 
in the urine at all times; but if from some cause 
there is an excess of it in the urine it is liable to be 
deposited and form into a stone or gravel. 

Symptoms : In the horse and ox there is stiffness 
in the hind legs, switching of the tail, a frequent 
desire to pass urine indicated by the animal 
stretching out; the ox does not stretch out, but will 
kick its belly with its foot ; at times the urine will 
pass easy, when all at once it will stop, and all at- 
tempts at further passage are in vain; the animal 
may sigh, or even groan, or may lie down. The 
stoppage is caused by the stone pressing for the 
time being against the neck of the bladder, thus 
preventing the passage of the urine. After the 
animal is moved the stone may pass back into the 
body of the bladder and not trouble the animal for 
some time; but usually the straining in passing 
the urine forces the stone against the neck of the 
bladder, and every time the animal passes urine it 
will be troubled in the same way as mentioned 
above. This may continue for a long time, not 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 129 

seeming to affect the animaPs health. In some 
eases of gravel in the mare and horse there will be 
incontinence of urine, excoriating the skin of 
thighs and legs, making them inflame and swell, 
causing the animal to go lame. When animals 
show the above symptoms it will be necessary to 
make an examination to ascertain the true nature 
of the trouble. This is done per rectum in the 
horse and ox and per vagina in the mare and 
cow. First empty the rectum by injections of warm 
water. The time selected should be, if possible, 
after the animal has urinated ; if this is not prac- 
ticable, use the catheter, as it is much easier to de- 
tect the stone when the bladder is empty; oil the 
hand and introduce it into the rectum or vagina. 
After passing the hand in eight to twelve inches, 
under the lower surface of the rectum the stone can 
be easily felt if present as a hard lump; if none is 
present it will be smooth and soft, so no mistake 
need be made. 

Treatment : When a stone is found, in the major- 
ity of cases it ought to be removed. This may be 
done in the mare without cutting the urethra. The 
hand is oiled and introduced into the vagina at a 
distance of four inches ; on its floor will be found 
the opening into the bladder. It is covered by a 
flap of membrane, which is easily lifted up with the 
finger. The forefinger is passed into this opening 
and kept there; a pair of spoon forceps, warmed 
and oiled, is then passed by the other hand into the 
opening under the finger, which is withdrawn as 
soon as the forceps enter the opening; the blades 



130 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

of the forceps are opened and closed for the pur- 
pose of dilating the opening; when this is accom- 
plished and the forceps have reached the stone, 
which is easily knov^n by the sound of the for- 
ceps against it, the right hand is now passed 
either into the vagina or rectum and the stone 
guided into the forceps, which should then be 
closed firmly on the stone and gently withdrawn 
with a slight rotary motion. If the stone is too 
large it will require to be crushed. The opening 
or urethra in the mare is much larger than in the 
horse, and by degrees it can be dilated to a consid- 
erable size. In one case of a mare, which was 
troubled by deposits of the soft gravel, large quan- 
tities of it would form in the bladder in a few 
months. In this case I had no trouble in dilating 
the opening large enough to admit a large table- 
spoon, which I used to scoop out the material 
which had accumulated; sometimes as much as 
a pint was removed at once. The operation on the 
horse is much more difficult. The instruments 
needed are a catheter, a pair of spoon forceps, a 
grooved director and a j)robe-pointed knife, a 
sponge, needles and catgut. Cast the horse, and if 
possible put it under the influence of chloroform, 
then pass the catheter and turn the horse on its 
back; make an incision about two inches long 
through urethra onto the catheter, withdraw the 
catheter, and introduce a pair of long forceps, 
not too large (warm them and oil before using 
them); then open and close the blades for a few 
minutes to dilate the urethra, introduce the spoon 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 131 

forceps, warmed and oiledj press these in until the 
stone is touched; introduce the right hand into 
the rectum, and guide the stone between the blades 
of the forceps, grasp the handles firmly, and by a 
rotary motion try and extract it. If this cannot be 
done withdraw the forceps, introduce the grooved 
director, and run the probe-pointed knife along 
the groove of the director; then make one free in- 
cision through the urethra, introduce the forceps 
and remove the stone. The bladder should be 
washed out with warm water, the wound cleaned 
and the edges brought together by a few stitches 
with catgut. The part should then be bathed with 
acetate of lead one dram, tincture of opium one 
ounce, water half a pint. If the animal is suffer- 
ing much pain give one to two drams of powdered 
opium made into a ball. If much swelling takes 
place bathe it frequently with the above lotion. 
Sometimes the urine infiltrates into the tissue be- 
tween the skin and flesh, setting up great inflam- 
mation, causing the death of the animal. 

Lithotomy in the ox: The catheter cannot be 
introduced into the urethra of the ox, and the re- 
moval of a stone from the bladder can only be done 
by cutting on the urethra. This is done by cutting 
through the skin about two inches below the anus 
and exposing the urethra and cutting through it. 
The remainder of the treatment is the same as in 
the horse. 

Urethral Calculi. — These stones are formed 
sometimes in the fossa or cavity in the point of the 
yard. When present they give rise to a stoppage 



132 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

or partial stoppage of the water. First examine 
the cavity in the end, then run the fingers along 
the back part of the yard, and if there is any ob- 
struction it can be easily felt. In the end it can 
usually be removed with the fingers. If this can- 
not be done try the forceps. If it is too large to be 
removed through the opening slit it and then the 
stone can be easily pressed out. If it is uj) in the 
urethra cut down upon it and remove it, then pass 
a small pin through the lips of the wound and tie 
a piece of thread in the form of the figure eight; 
this will bring the edges of the wound together. 
Then cut off the sharp end of the pin and let it 
remain in until it sloughs off, and usually by that 
time it will be healed. If it should slough off too 
soon put^ in another pin in the same way. If the 
edges of the wound are dry scarify them before 
inserting the pin. 

Preputial Calculi. — This form of calculi is found 
in the sheath, usually in the ox or steer, seldom in 
the bull. I was called to a well-marked case of 
this trouble, which I will give as an illustration. 
The patient was a three-year-old steer which was 
noticed for some time to have a swelling at the end 
of the sheath, which gradually increased in size. 
One day the animal seemed to move stiff and re- 
fused its food, and would not move unless it was 
made to. When I saw the animal it was standing 
with its back arched, breathing faster than nat- 
ural; the nose was dry and the animal seemed to 
be in distress. I noticed that the sheath was swol- 
len its entire length, and on examination I also 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 133 

found the lymphatics on the inside of the legs were 
hard and swollen. Inside the point of the 
sheath I found a large accumulation of the limy 
deposit adhering to the sides of the sheath, almost 
closing it uiD, and from some cause had set up in- 
flammation of the sheath, causing the animal to 
be feverish. I had the animal tied up by the head 
and a strong strap buckled around its hind pas- 
terns, so that it could not kick. I then tried to 
remove it with my fingers, but found it was too 
hard. I then used a strong pair of forceps, and 
broke it off piece by piece, until I finally removed 
it altogether, but it left the walls of the sheath raw 
and sore. I washed it out with warm water, then 
applied to its w^alls a little of the following : Gly- 
cerine tw^o ounces, tincture of opium one ounce, » 
tannic acid two drams, sweet oil two ounces; this 
w^as mixed and well shaken before using. It is 
best put on with a swab or mop once a day. The 
outside of the sheath was bathed with warm water 
and some lead lotion applied. The animal got one 
and one-half pounds Epsom salts, and the next day 
was much better, and in ten days was quite well. 
These cases ought to be looked to early. As soon 
as any swelling is noticed, the animal should be 
examined, and if need be attended to as above, 
as it would save time and suffering to the animal. 



134 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER YIII. 

DISEASES OF THE SKIN. 

The skin on the animal's body serves as a pro- 
tection to the soft structures beneath it; also to 
prevent noxious materials from passing into the 
body, and allows the escape of waste materials 
from the body. This is constantly going on. If 
from disease or other causes these pores become 
stopped up the animal soon suffers from the effete 
matters being penned up in the system. It is 
therefore of the greatest importance to keep the 
skin of animals clean and healthy. It is said that 
good grooming is worth half the food; and there 
is a great deal in it, as it prevents disease of the 
skin and keeps off vermin. 

"Hidebound" is not a disease, but the result of 
disease, or the want of proper food and shelter. The 
skin becomes dry on account of the secretions be- 
ing stopped, and the nerves of the skin being in a 
disordered condition, causing the hair to stand 
erect. An animal that is fat and in good health is 
never hidebound. 

We will divide the diseases of the skin into two 
sections, the non-parasitic and the parasitic. There 
are a great many names given to the non-parasitic 
diseases, but they are very conflicting, and for our 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 135 

purpose we will onl}^ separate the ones which re- 
quire a different treatment. 

The word Eczema is applied to a number of dis- 
eases. We will apply it to a disease characterized 
by a redness, followed by the surface of the skin 
presenting a number of little vesicles or blisters, 
from which exudes an acrid fluid, which concretes 
on the hair in a yellow crust, and in some cases the 
hair drops out. A peculiarity of this form of dis- 
ease is that it is recurrent, and in this way it may 
last for a long time if not remedied. In some cases 
the skin may crack, and in others it may lead to a 
thickening. 

Treatment: In the early stage give the animal 
a physic : Aloes one ounce, ginger one ounce, soda 
carbonate one ounce, dissolve in half a pint of boil- 
ing w^ater, then add half a pint of cold 
water, and give at one dose. For cattle give 
from one to one and one-half pounds Epsom salts, 
and one ounce ground ginger dissolved in half a 
gallon of water, at one dose. Follow this with sul- 
phate of iron four ounces, nitrate of potass, four 
ounces, divide into twenty-four doses, one to be 
given in a small mash of bran twice daily. Wash 
the skin with one ounce of carbonate of potassium 
dissolved in a quart of water ; rub this well in ; then 
use warm water to wash it off. Keep the animal 
warm until dry. If there is much itching wash the 
itchy parts with acetate of lead half an ounce, 
tincture of opium two ounces, water one quart. For 
chronic cases give one ounce of Fowler's solution 
of arsenic in a bran mash and continue it for a 



136 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

month. Wash the skin as above. If the skin 
should become thick and scaly use biniodide of 
mercury two drams, vaseline four ounces. Rub on 
a little with the fingers. Never cover over much 
surface at a time. For example, if the neck is the 
part affected, take one side at a time, and in three 
days take the other side, and so on in other parts 
of the body until you get all over the animal if nec- 
essary. One application is usually all that is need- 
ed ; but if it should not cure it, repeat in two weeks. 
Tie the head of the animal so that it cannot get its 
mouth to the part for the first ten or tw^elve hours ; 
after that the irritation will be over. This is a fine 
remedy if properly used. 

Urticaria, Nettle Rash, Surfeit. — The symptoms 
are sudden appearance of elastic patches or prom- 
inences on the skin, accompanied by great itching 
of the part, and it may pass off as suddenly as it 
appeared. There is a second variety of this dis- 
ease, in which the lumps may arise on every part 
of the bod}^, some large, others small, and if they 
do not pass off soon, may form vesicles and dis- 
charge a glutinous fluid, and the animal may ap- 
pear dull, the appetite may be impaired and the 
animaPs health disturbed. This disease may 
make its appearance on any horse, but it is usually 
caused by the animal being overfed and having 
no exercise, or from the animal's being poorly fed 
and over-w^orked. In the spring I have seen it 
in colts which had been poorly fed all winter. 

Treatment: If ILe animal is fat give the same 
dose as recommended for eczema; if the animal is 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 137 

thin give good hay and oats, boiled flaxseed and 
bran once daily. Give sulphate of iron four 
ounces, nitrate of potassium four ounces, nux vom- 
ica two ounces, mix and divide into twent^'-four 
doses, one to be given twice daily in the food. If 
the skin is itchy use lead and opium as in eczema. 
After giving this, if the animal is not cured, give 
arsenic in the form of Fowler's solution in ounce 
doses once daily in food for a month. 

Lichen. — This consists of pimples on the skin 
about the size of a millet seed. They develop prin- 
cipally around the hair follicles in patches. The 
hair falls off and the skin remains bare for five or 
six weeks, when a layer of scales drops off, and 
then the hair begins to grow. The malady is apt 
to recur. All that is necessary in this case is to 
keep the skin clean by good grooming and give a 
tablespoonful of sulphur and half an ounce of ni- 
trate of potassium once a day in mash. 

Pimphigus. — This is a disease of the skin char- 
acterized by bladders or elevations of the scarf 
skin, varying from the size of a walnut to a hen's 
egg. A thin transparent fluid oozes from them, 
and when large and opened it will run out in a 
stream. In some cases the animal may be fevered, 
but usually it is not. The disease runs its 
course in a week or ten days. The hair may drop 
out where the lumps were and be some time in com- 
ing in. 

Treatment: Give a physic of aloes to the horse 
and salts to the ox, open the vesicles and dress with 
oxide of zinc one ounce, vaseline three ounces. 



138 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Prurigo. — This disease is caused by a deranged 
state of the system and usually affects the neck, 
head, mane, root of tail, and sometimes the hind 
quarters. 

Treatment: Give a dose of physic or bran 
mashes with nitrate of potassium in half-ounce 
doses twice daily for a week. Wash the affected 
parts with one ounce of sulphuric acid mixed in a 
quart of water. 

Acne. — This is a formation of pimples or small 
abscesses, which form on the skin, usually scat- 
tered over the sides of the body and under the bel- 
ly. In cows usually on the udder and inside the 
thighs. In some cases they break and discharge 
a little matter; they then dry up and soon heal. 

Treatment: Give a dose of physic followed by 
Fowler's solution of arsenic in ounce doses once 
daily in mash. If there are any sores use a little 
oxide of zinc ointment. 

Pityriasis. — This is a scurfy condition of the 
skin usually seen in horses which have been win- 
tered out of doors and fed on innutritions food. 
Change the food and give boiled flaxseed and a 
dram of sulphate of iron night and morning in bran 
mash. 

Alopecia (Baldness). — In the horse this is usual- 
ly the result of applying too irritating substances 
to the skin, such as the strong acids, using blisters 
on the same part before it has healed from the 
effects of the first one, and from wounds not prop- 
erly treated. When the hair bulb, or root, which 
is situated beneath the skin, is destroyed, the hair 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 139 

drops out, leaving the skin bare, and as there is no 
root the hair cannot grow, neither is there any med- 
icine that will cause it to grow. In some cases the 
hair may drop out from fever or inflammation of 
the tissue under the skin affecting the hair bulb, 
but not destroying it. In this case it will grow 
again, and may be helped by applying friction 
and a little tincture of cantharides to it every third 
day. 

Warts. — The cause of this derangement is not 
well understood, but is supposed to be caused by 
an altered state of the cells of the skin, taking on 
this form of growth. When a wart is irritated by 
rubbing it may take on the form of an ugly fungus- 
like mass and bleed on the slightest pressure. They 
occur very frequently about the head and face, 
but may come on any part of the body. 

Treatment : On all those which have a neck tie 
a small cord tightly around them, and if they do 
not slough off in a week tie another cord. When 
they slough off apply a little terchloride of anti- 
mony to the raw spots to destroy the roots. This can 
be repeated every third day. Usually two applica- 
tions are enough. In cases where they are flat, 
scrape off the surface with a blunt knife, and when 
they stop bleeding apply a little of the terchloride 
of antimony with a feather. Scrape the scab off in 
three days and apply a little more, and so on until 
it is lower than the surrounding skin. Then use 
oxide of zinc one ounce, lard two ounces, Apply a 
little once a day until it is healed. These warts 
can be removed with the knife, and the caustic ap- 
plied, but I find that the plan given above is the 



140 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

best. There is a form of warts which appear sud- 
denly on the lips and nose of young colts and 
calves, and sometimes on older animals. These 
are small, and the whole lip will be covered with 
them. They sometimes occur on the inside of the 
lip of the dog. They require no treatment, and 
will often disappear as suddenly as they came. 

Emphysema (Air Under the Skin). — This is usu- 
ally the result of a wound, where the skin is loosely 
connected with the muscles, as behind the elbow 
or lower part of the neck. There is a peculiar 
crackling beneath the skin when the pressure is 
brought to bear upon the part. In the majority of 
cases it requires no interference, as it will soon 
pass away. In bad cases the skin may be punc- 
tured and gentle friction applied. 

Mange. — This is a contagious disease caused by 
a parasite. 

Causation: Although it is undoubted that the 
essential and immediate factor in the production 
of mange in any form is the presence of the mange 
mite, we may not shut our eyes to the teachings of 
experience, in so far as that these tell us that all 
debilitating and exhausting influences, as expo- 
sure, fatigue, want of sufficient food, and fitting 
stabling render animals more susceptible to the 
attack and rapid development of the inducing 
parasite, and of course materially influence the 
progress and termination of the disease. , The in- 
fluences of these agencies have been observed and 
their extent determined by all observers, particu- 
larly by those associated with large collections of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 141 

animals in civil as well as military life. In the 
latter condition this disease, along with glanders, 
has ever been the scourge of armies in the field. 
(Robertson.) 

Symptoms: Mange in the horse and ox usually 
begins in the neck, withers, and root of tail. From 
these parts the disease extends and passes through 
its various stages, which are first characterized 
by round, irritable j)atches. During this stage 
there is intense itching, and from the vesicles which 
appear there oozes a watery fluid, which soon dries, 
forming a scab. The hair drops out, and on ac- 
count of the animal rubbing and biting itself the 
part is left raw and sore and the skin swollen and 
red. In the chronic stage there is not so much 
itching. In the dog it begins on the inside of the 
legs and scrotum, and soon spreads to the back. 
As mange in its various forms resembles other 
eruptive diseases of the skin it is first necessary to 
look for the parasite, which can be done by a mag- 
nifying glass, also tracing the origin of the conta- 
gion. In some cases the parasite can be seen with 
the naked eye in the glare of the sunlight. 

In the treatment of mange we must destroy the 
parasites. It is also necessary to destroy the eggs, 
which require stronger remedies than would kill 
the parasites. The eggs are concealed under the 
scales, or scabs, and are difficult to get at. First 
wash the affected parts with soft soap and water, 
using a brush to remove or break down as many of 
the scabs as possible. Boil stavesacre seeds, one 
part to twenty parts of water, for one hour, and let 



142 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

it simmer for another hour. Then add water to 
make it up to the original bulk. Apply a little of 
this to all the affected parts. Repeat in a week 
if necessary. Sulphur half a pound, vaseline one 
ounce, mixed and rubbed in well, is also a good 
remedy. Another, than which there is nothing 
better, is linseed oil one pint, oil of tar two ounces, 
sulphur two ounces, mixed, well rubbed in two 
days in succession, allowed to remain for three or 
four days, and then washed off with soap and water 
and reapplied if thought necessar}^ Sanitas oil 
is the safest and best to apply to mange on dogs, 
as there is no danger of poisoning with it. 

Lousiness. — This is a very common trouble in 
horses and cattle, and is best treated by the use 
of stavesacre seeds as recommended for mange. 
Another good remedy is to boil for one hour two 
ounces of arsenic, two ounces of soda ash, and four 
ounces of soft soap and two gallons of water. Add 
water to make it up to the two gallons. When cool 
wet the animal all over with a little of it, using a 
currycomb to get it into the skin. Keep the ani- 
mal in the stable until dry. 

Tinea Favosa (Ringworm). — This is a common 
disease in young cattle, affecting them around the 
eyes and legs. 

Symptoms: The appearance of a white or gray- 
ish scurf and the hair dropping off. 

Treatment: Scrape off the scurf with a blunt 
knife, then paint it with tincture of iodine every 
third day until four applications have been used. 

Scalds and Burns. — Superficial scalds or burns 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 143 

cause a redness of the skin, and if deep enough 
will cause the hair to drop out, or cause absorption 
of the pigment, which gives color to the hair, and 
it may never be reproduced. In that case the hair 
over the part will remain white. This often takes 
place from scalds b}^ the harness rubbing on the 
skin when the animal is hot. There is no remedy 
for it. When a burn is deep it will inflame, and 
as a result matter will form, and if properly treat- 
ed will heal without leaving any blemish. First 
protect the part from the air by applying bicarbon- 
ate of soda to it, or by painting it over with collo- 
dion. If matter forms wash it carefully and apply 
acetate of lead half an ounce, zinc sulphate half an 
ounce, w^ater one quart. Apply a little twice a day. 
If there is any proud flesh it should be kept down 
by applying a little terchloride of antimony. Keep 
the center lower than the surounding parts, so that 
the edges will grow close ' together, and when it 
heals the hair will cover it and leave no blemish. 
Grease. — This is a form of eczema which is fre- 
quently seen in horses, affecting the skin of the fet- 
lock and heels. There are two forms of this dis- 
ease, of which one is very common in the draft stal- 
lion. The first symptom that is noticed is the ap- 
pearance of a dry, scurfy material at the roots of 
the long hair of the fetlock; by degrees this accu- 
mulates into bunches and can be seen through the 
hair; then in some cases there will be cracks 
through the skin, and if the animal is exercised 
they may bleed, and if not treated they will in- 
crease until they become unsightly blem- 



144 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ishes. This disease is caused by a filling up of the 
lymphatic vessels with fluid, and a little of it 
oozes out through the skin, forming a crust, and 
the skin under it gradually becomes sore; and a 
morbid growth of cells, which should have formed 
the scarf skin, forms into bunches, which become 
hard, although there are blood vessels in the lumps, 
and in this way they develop. 

Treatment : In the early stage apply a poultice 
of linseed meal, changing it twice a day until the 
scurfy part is clean, then rub on once daily oxide of 
zinc one ounce, vaseline two ounces. If there is 
any tendency for scurf to form, apply the poultice 
again. Give the horse a dose of physic; aloes is 
the best, and when the physic operates give one of 
the following powders once a day in bran mash: 
Sulphate of iron four ounces, nitrate of potassium 
four ounces, mix and divide into twenty-four doses. 
Give regular exercise and do not feed much corn. 
In cases where bunches have formed remove them 
either by twisting them oif with the fingers or 
cutting them off with the knife or the hot iron. 
This is best done by taking two shovels (fire), and 
heating one of them red hot, and putting the cold 
one between the skin and the hot one, and by using 
a little pressure on the hot shovel it will cut off 
the bunch. When they are cut off by this method 
no caustic is needed, but when tw^isted off or re- 
moved by the knife the raw parts should be 
touched with a little terchloride of antimony once. 
Then in all'cases to heal them use the oxide of zinc 
ointment once daily. There is another form of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 145 

grease in which pustules form, yielding a foetid 
discharge. In some cases the legs swell before the 
pustules form, and there may be some fever. The 
hind legs are the ones usually affected. The dis- 
charge is sometimes very profuse, wetting the back 
of the hoofs; and if the animal stands for some 
time the floor beneath the feet will be wet. The 
discharge of grease is very irritating, and will de- 
stroy the parts over which it flows. This causes 
the skin to crack and become sore, and proud flesh 
may form with a crust on top, which, if peeled off, 
will bleed freely. In some cases this greasy sub- 
stance will burrow between the horny and the sen- 
sitive frog, making it a very difiicult case to treat. 
Professor Hering has found in chronic grease a 
large number of acari called "sarcoptes hi]3popo- 
dus," which cause great itching, and the animal 
bites and rubs the parts. To prevent this, if the 
horse has a tendency to swell in the leg, that should 
be remedied as soon as possible in case it should 
take on this form. The horse should have regular 
exercise and not too much food, and if the legs 
should swell, give a dose of physic, followed by 
tonics. Some breeds of horses seem to be predis- 
posed to grease. The heav}^, coarse-limbed ani- 
mals, with hairy legs, are more often affected with 
this disease than others. Poultice the parts to 
clean and soften them. Remove all the scabs, and 
if there are bunches of fungoid granulations they 
will have to be removed by caustic, or the hot iron. 
After this is done take one ounce of carbolic acid 
and six ounces of water, shake it up well and apply 



146 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

a little to all the sore parts. This strength will 
turn the parts vrhite and will kill tne atari. In 
two days after using the carbolic acid use acetate 
of lead half an ounce, sulphate of zinc half an 
ounce, water one quart. Apply a little twice a day. 
Use the carbolic acid again if the parts are not 
healthy. If it has burrowed between the horny 
and sensitive frog cut awa}^ all the loose horn and 
use the above treatment. Give the horse one ounce 
of Fowler's solution of arsenic once a day in bran 
mash. 

Scratches or Cracked Heels in Horses. — This is 
a trouble more often seen in the race and trotting 
horse than in the draft. One of the causes of it 
in the fast horse is the sweat running down the legs 
and lodging in the hollow of the heel, irritating the 
tender skin, causing it to become dry and crack. 
This can be avoided by rubbing the heels dry and 
then putting on a little vaseline. This should be 
done the first thing, when the horse is taken to the 
stable. Wet and cold and cold draughts coming 
under a door and striking on the heels are frequent 
causes. In all cases of scratches poultice the heels 
for a few days to remove the soreness and inflam- 
mation, then use the oxide of zinc ointment, and 
give the animal half an ounce of nitrate of potas- 
sium once a day in bran mash, and in a few days 
they will heal. There is a chronic form of scratches 
I have been called upon to treat in which all kinds 
of medicines have been tried and the parts seem 
to be healed, but as soon as the horse is driven a 
short distance the skin cracks open and blood 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 147 

oozes out. There is only one remedy which I have 
found to be of any use. Take biniodide of mer- 
cury two drams, vaseline three ounces. Mix and 
rub on a little of this. Let it remain on for twenty - 
four hours, then wash off, and rub on a little lard. 
In a week, or when it is well from the effects of the 
first, rub on a little more, and so on for tw^o months. 
By this time the ointment will have absorbed the 
thickened skin, leaving a thin, soft, pliable, 
healthy skin, which will not crack. It usually 
takes from two to three months to accomplish 
this. 

Ringworm (Tinea Tonsurous). — This is common 
in the domestic animals, especially in calves and 
young cattle, and is contagious. It depends upon 
the presence of a vegetable parasite, which devel- 
ops and grows rapidly when it finds a suitable 
place for development. It may affect any part of 
the body, but its favorable seat is the face, ears 
and neck of cattle, and sometimes the back and 
hind quarters. 

Symptoms: There appears a gray crust on the 
skin, and the hair drops out. This keeps spreading 
in the form of a ring until the side of the face, ears 
or neck may be covered with it. It appears in the 
same way on the back, hips, and inside of the hind 
legs. It does not seem to affect the health of the 
animal, as it is found in the well-kept as well as 
the unkept. 

Treatment : First remove the crusts by washing 
the parts with warm water in which one ounce of 
the carbonate of potassium has been put to every 



148 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

quart of water. A brush should be used to wash 
with. Then use iodine two drams, vaseline two 
ounces, and rub a little of this on with a gloved 
hand. Kepeat in three days. Or take carbolic acid 
one ounce, alcohol two ounces, and apply a little 
of this to the parts with a feather once or twice; 
the last is very effective. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 149 



CHAPTER IX. 

TUMORS. 

Fibrous tumors are sometimes seen in horses, 
and are due to pus imj^risoned in the muscles, and 
are very frequentl}- found on or near the point of 
the shoulder, and arise from pressure of the collar. 
They are found on other parts of the body liable to 
pressure. They are hard to the touch and not pain- 
ful on pressure. The best method of treating a 
tumor of this kind is to make one or two openings 
into the center of it, and when it stops bleeding- 
take two grains of bichloride of mercury and roll 
it up in a small piece of tissue paper and press it 
into the bottom of the opening. Repeat this every 
third day until the tumor disappears, which it will 
soon do, leaving no blemish. I have practiced this 
method for a number of years with success. 

Cystic tumors are usually caused by bruises or 
pressure. Thus w^e find capped elbow and capped 
hock. 

Capped Elbow is caused by the horse lying on its 
foot or the calkins of its shoe, and from this pres- 
sure in time a low form of inflammation is set up 
and a fluid is poured into the bruised part, and it 
gradually increases until a tumor, or what is called 
a shoe boil, is formed. When it gets into this state 



150 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

it is difficult to cure,as there is no flesh on the point 
of the elbow to build upon. The fluid accumulates 
between the skin and the point of the elbow. 

Treatment: Open it and allow the fluid to run 
out. If it is hot and tender bathe it three or four 
times a day with acetate of lead half an ounce, 
water one quart. Inject a little of this into the 
opening and muffle the horse's foot by putting on 
a bag stuffed with short straw. There is a tend- 
ency for the skin and tissue to thicken and in 
time form a hard tumor. In this case make an 
opening into it and inject a little tincture of iodine 
once a day and rub iodine ointment on the outside 
twice a week ; one part of iodine to eight parts of 
lard is the best strength for this. Continue this 
treatment for a month or two. Cutting it out with 
the knife, I find, is bad practice, as in the majority 
of cases before it heals the tumor will be larger 
than before. 

Capped Hock is caused either from kicks or 
bruises. It sets up an inflammation, resulting in 
effusion between the cap and the point of the bone 
of the hock, and if an oi)ening is made into it, it 
usually makes a worse blemish than the enlarge- 
ment, and is best treated at first with acetate of 
lead half an ounce, water one quart. After all 
heat and tenderness are gone use biniodide of mer- 
cury one dram, lard one and one-half ounces; rub 
on a little once a week, and continue it for several 
months. There are cysts which form on the stifle 
joint, often in colts, from bruises. Sometimes they 
cause lameness, at others none. These are best 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 151 

treated as capped hock. Thej will be found on the 
knee joint and in front of the fetlock joint. They 
seldom cause lameness, but are blemishes, and can 
often be removed if treated the same as above, but 
this treatment must be continued for several 
months, or there will be no use in beginning it. 
Cysts filled with blood are sometimes found on the 
point of the hip or on the outside of the thigh. 
They are soft to the touch. Open them with the 
knife and squeeze out the contents, and inject 
about a tablespoonful of zinc chloride one dram, 
water one pint, twice a day until healed. There is 
very little trouble in curing such tumors because 
they are on the fleshy part. 

Cysted Tumors in the False Nostrils of Horses. — 
These will attain the size of a hen's egg. We do 
not understand what causes them. They are hard 
to the touch, yet they all contain a fluid sometimes 
like cocoanut milk, and at others a dark, watery 
or thick mass. Cut off the hair, cut into the tumor, 
and squeeze out its contents, then wash it out with 
water and inject a little tincture of iodine. If it 
should fill up, open it and clean out, and inject a 
little more tincture of iodine. It seldom requires 
to be treated a second time. There is no danger 
of cutting into this form of tumor, as there are no 
blood vessels of any importance. 

Actinomycosis (Lumpy Jaw), — This is a hard 
tumor peculiar to cattle, which grows on the lower 
jaw; sometimes on the upper. It is classed as a 
malignant parasitic tumor, caused b}^ the presence 
of a vegetable parasite or fungus. This disease is 



152 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

thought by some to be caused by an injury. This 
mass usually grows on the outside of the jaw bone 
at first, but the healthy nutrition is soon destroyed 
and the bone becomes diseased, sometimes loosen- 
ing the teeth, which interferes with mastication, 
and the animal pines away and dies from starva- 
tion. In cutting into the tumor it is gristl}^, and 
full of cavities filled with a yellowish red fluid. If 
the animal rubs the skin off the tumor, which they 
sometimes do, it becomes an angry looking sore, 
with a little bloody matter oozing from it. The dis- 
ease is not contagious. I have experimented for 
a number of years and have always failed to pro- 
duce the disease in another animal, even by inocu- 
lation, and on that account it is doubtful if it is 
caused by a parasite. 

Treatment: In the early stages of the disease 
the majority of cases can be cured. Give the ani- 
mal one dram of iodide of potassium morning and 
evening in bran mash for three weeks. If the ani- 
mal's eyes should get watery and considerable 
saliva run from the mouth, stop for a few days 
and begin again. Rub the lump once a week with 
biniodide of mercur}^ one dram, lard one ounce. 
Continue this for several months, when the tumor 
will graduall}^ disappear. When the tumor has 
become sore and matter is oozing from it little can 
be done. Some few cases can be helped by rubbing 
on a little bichloride of mercury every third day, 
using no more at a time than would lie on a ten- 
cent piece. This will act as a caustic and eat out 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 153 

the heart of the tumor. It is best applied with a 
smooth piece of stick. 

Melanosis. — Melanotic tumors seem to be nat- 
ural to gray horses, as they are seldom found on 
other horses. Their structure consists of connec- 
tive tissue, intermixed with black pigment cells. 
They are of a cancerous nature and have been 
called "black cancer.'' This form of cancer has 
been found in nearly all kinds of domestic animals, 
but n^ost frequently in the gray horse. It is thought 
that this pigment, which should have colored the 
hair, is, under certain conditions of the horse, con- 
centrated in one or more places, causing the forma- 
tion of those black tumors. Their growth is some- 
times rapid, at others very slow. Their usual place 
of forming is on the black skin around the root 
of the tail, or the udder, although I have seen some 
cases in the iron gray horses where they have 
made their appearance over the sides and on the 
nose. I have removed and seen a sjreat manv 
melanotic tumors, and they have always returned 
sooner or later. They are of a malignant charac- 
ter and are therefore incurable. 

Lymphoma. — This is a term given to a disease 
which affects the glandular structures, and in cat- 
tle usually the glands of the neck. Like the melan- 
otic tumors they are sometimes of very slow devel- 
opment and at others fast. When they affect the 
glands of the throat and grow rapidly they usually 
cause suffocation, and the result of such tumors 
is fatal to the life of the animal. These tumors are 
considered by some to be of the same nature as 



154 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

lumpy jaw, but such is not the case. If thej are 
situated so that the}^ can be removed by the knife 
it may stop their progress for a time, but thej are 
sure to make their appearance again either on the 
same place or on some gland of the body. These 
diseases are not contagious. 

Epithelial Cancer. — This is usually found at the 
edges of the mouth, eyelids, Yulva and anus. It 
is more often found in cattle than in horses, and is 
often the result of injuries. In its early stage if 
it is properly eradicated it may never return. 

Treatment for Epithelial cancer: The most 
successful form of treatment is the injection of ab- 
solute alcohol. This is done with a hypodermic 
syringe; from a dram to half an ounce of it can be 
used at a time. If the tumor is small inject a little 
into its center. If large inject a little into several 
places at the base of the tumor; repeat every third 
day until it drops out. Another method is to re- 
move it with a knife or ligature, and when it is re- 
moved apply a little terchloride of antimony to the 
part to destroy the roots. This should be used 
every second day for a week or two, then use a lit- 
tle of the following to heal it: Iodoform half an 
ounce, vaseline two ounces; apply a little once a 
day. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 155 



CHAPTER X. 

DISEASES OP THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. 

The diseases of the nervous system of the horse 
are more common of late years than formerly, and 
in some sections of the country. Through the 
State of Illinois some years there are a number of 
young horses affected with what is called the 
"wabbles," where the animal partially loses the 
use of its hind legs, and if not treated in time will 
usually prove fatal. The cause of this derange- 
ment is not known. It is usuall}' common in the 
autumn and spring months. 

Symptoms: The animal is first noticed, when 
walking, to suddenly twist its hind parts to one 
side and wabble a little, then regain the use of 
the legs, and go on all right for a few steps or a 
longer distance, then go through the same move- 
ments, and in the majority of cases they usually 
get worse until they wabble all the time, and some 
of them when down cannot get up without help, 
and soon die. I have treated a great many such 
cases. Keep the animal in a loose box or small 
yard, and give it in the early stage of the disease 
one dram of iodide of potassium night and morning 
in bran mash; half the quantity for a colt one year 
old. Continue this for one week, then give a dram 
of the fluid extract of nux vomica twice a day, or 



156 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

one dram of the powdered nux vomica twice a day 
for two weeks, then skip a week and repeat if nec- 
essary; the medicine can be given in bran mash 
or oatmeal gruel. Also rub the back and hips once 
a day with soap liniment for a few days, and if the 
skin becomes tender wait for a few days and begin 
again. The majority of cases thus treated recover. 

Spasms and Convulsions. — Spasms are an invol- 
untary contraction of the muscles, occurring inde- 
pendent of the will, and attended with pain. They 
remain for a long time or pass off suddenly. I have 
seen cramps of the muscles of the stifle last for 
days, the spasm coming on as soon as the animal 
moved. Robertson says all these phenomena of 
motor disturbance are probably referable to inter- 
ference with some portion or other of the nerve 
centers, this interference extending nearly to irri- 
tation, inducing discharges of nerve force, not 
reaching the extent of destruction of nerve tissue. 

Symptoms: The animal is seized with a cramp 
or spasm in some of its muscles, and for the time 
is unable to move them. It may pass off in 
a few minutes, not to return, or it may remain for 
a long time. 

Treatment: In cases where it does not pass 
off quickly, give the animal a dose of physic; 
for the horse, aloes one ounce, one ounce of carbon- 
ate of soda, and one ounce ground ginger, dissolved 
in half a pint of boiling water; add half a pint of 
cold water, and give at one dose. Follow this by 
giving two ounces bromide of potassium in bran 
mash three times a day for a few days. Rub the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 157 

affected muscles twice daily with a little soap lini- 
ment. 

Phrenitis (Inflammation of the Brain). — This is 
at first congestive, subsequently inflammatory. It 
is known as "Phrensy," and is usually caused by in- 
juries or a too plethoric state of the system. It is 
often prevalent in very hot weather. 

Symptoms: The congestive state is stupor, slow 
pulse, respirations slow and rough. The mem- 
branes of the nose and eyes are very red, and the 
animal seems "foolish." Soon fever sets in with a 
full, fast pulse, fast breathing, a wild, staring con- 
dition of the eyes. The ox bellow^s and charges at 
all available objects. The horse strikes with his 
fore feet, and in some cases will tear anything 
within reach with its teeth, and it is dangerous to 
go near him. As the disease advances there are 
convulsions, with more or less loss of power, and 
the animal may fall. "There is a want of method 
in the fury of a phrenitic ox not discernible in that 
of a rabid one." Later, paralysis sets in, soon fol- 
lowed by death. 

Treatment: As soon as possible secure the ani- 
mal and bleed if necessary from both jugular veins 
from six to ten quarts ; this will relieve the pres- 
sure on the brain. Apply ice or very cold water 
to the head and give a strong dose of cathartic 
medicine, one and one-half pounds Epsom salts for 
the ox and one ounce aloes and one dram of calomel 
for the horse. Also give tincture of aconite in 
doses of twenty to thirty drops every two hours in 
a little water. When it is difficult to give bulky 



158 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

physic give from ten to fifteen drops of croton oil 
in a little linseed or castor oil ; this can be repeated 
in twenty-four hours if needed. This disease is dis- 
tinguished from impaction of the stomach by the 
greater acuteness of the symptoms, the history of 
the case, and acute fever. 

Megrims. — This may be caused by congestion of 
the brain or not enough blood to it. The ordinary 
form of Megrims (blind staggers) is a peculiar de- 
ranged state of the nerves of the brain or the brain 
itself, although some cases of staggers are caused 
by small, ill-fitting collars, which often obstruct 
the flow of blood in the veins of the neck,thus caus- 
ing passive congestion of the brain, which is re- 
lieved by removing the collar. Defective action of 
the heart will sometimes cause dizziness or stag- 
gers from want of sufficient blood to the brain. Be- 
sides these causes there is a disturbance of the 
brain not well understood which is the most com- 
mon cause of the Megrims. 

Symptoms: The animal stops, shakes its head, 
throwing it upward and backward, braces its legs, 
staggers, and falls. The eyes are staring and the 
nostrils dilated, and the breathing may be rough; 
the animal gives a few convulsive struggles, gets 
on its feet, shakes itself, and goes on as if nothing 
had happened. I have known horses affected in 
this way every time they were driven facing the 
sun. The sunlight, I think, caused irritation in 
some way affecting the brain. 

Treatment : There is no cure for this disease. If 
the animal falls, slacken the harness and let the 



iDISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 159 

head lie flat. If there is cold water near at hand. 



that can be dashed over the head and neck; in a 
minute or two the animal will be all right. I have 
found the attacks fewer when the animal got a 
dose of ph^-sic occasionally; aloes is the best 

Congestion of the Brain. — This is usually caused 
from injuries, such as the animal striking its head 
hard against the top of a door as in coming out or 
going into a car. I have seen several cases of this 
kind, and they may be severe enough to cause rup- 
ture of some of the blood vessels of the brain, when 
a clot forms causing pressure on the brain, or a por- 
tion of the brain only may be congested. Conges- 
tion sometimes takes place without any apparent 
cause. 

Symptoms : The animal hangs its head, the eyes 
are wholly or partially closed, the breathing is 
slow and oppressed, and in some cases it may be 
loud and rough. If the animal's head is raised, 
it will throw it into spasms for a few minutes, but 
soon gets back to the sleepy state, and if it does not 
turn into inflammation, the animal will likely die 
in a comatose state, or there may be a few convul- 
sions before death. Cattle in this condition will 
stand for hours with their heads pressed hard 
against something. 

Treatment: Give a large dose of physic, one 
ounce of aloes and two drams of calomel, made in- 
to a ball for the horse, and one and one-half pounds 
Epsom salts for cattle. Place ice bags to the back 
of the head. 

Sunstroke. — Sunstroke is a name given to affec- 



160 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tions caused by exhaustion and exposure to the hot 
sun. The great heat and the exhaustion from fast 
driving, or hard, slow work continued for a long 
time in a hot afternoon heats the body of the ani- 
mal to such an extent as to destroy the nerve tissue, 
so that it does not perform its function, resulting 
in congestion of the brain or cord, or the heart it- 
self may be the part most affected, or the blood may 
become changed. In some cases the whole super- 
ficial circulation is stopped. 

Symptoms: The animal begins to lag behind 
and stagger along for a few yards, then falls to 
the ground in an unconscious state. The breathing 
is noisy and the pulse is small, slow and irregular, 
and sweat msij break out in patches on the body. 
The animal may die in a few minutes. In some 
cases which are not so severe the animal becomes 
used up, staggers in walking, breathing fast, eyes 
half closed and watery, nostrils dilated. The pulse 
is rapid and weak, and if pushed on in this condi- 
tion will soon fall unconscious. 

Treatment: On a very hot day a horse at v/ork 
should be rested often and given a drink of water, 
and if it should show any signs of lagging it should 
be stopped at once and taken to a cool place, and 
if possible be given a stimulant, half a pint of 
whisky in a little water, or two ounces of aromatic 
spirits of ammonia in half a pint of cold water, and 
not iDut to work for several hours. In bad cases 
where the animal falls unconscious, it should get 
one of the above stimulants. I find the best and 
surest method is not only to apply water to the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 161 

head and spine, but to every part of the body. 
Either turn on the hose or keep two men steady 
throwing cold water, and keep it up until the ani- 
mal either dies or gets better. I have continued 
applying the cold water to all parts of the body for 
ten hours, and saved an animal that was to all ap- 
pearance beyond recovery. This cools the tissue of 
the body, and if it has not been destroyed beyond 
repair the animal will likely recover. The stim- 
ulant should be given every hour, half a pint of 
good whisky in a little water or two ounces of aro- 
matic spirits of ammonia in half a pint of cold 
water. When the animal recovers it should not 
be put to work for several weeks, and should get 
one dram of sulphate of iron in the morning, and 
two drams of nitrate of potassium in the evening, 
good hay and oats and plenty of cold water, all of 
which will assist in restoring the deranged tissue 
of the body. 

Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis. — This is an inflam- 
mation of the coverings of the brain and spinal 
cord. 

Causes: Injuries of various kinds, exposures to 
cold and damp when an animal is in an exhausted 
state from over-driving. Sometimes outbreaks 
of this disease take place, and it is very difficult 
to determine the cause. It was thought when it 
broke out in large stables in cities it was caused 
from bad air, but I have seen an outbreak in the 
country while the horses were at pasture and in 
perfect health until the disease appeared. One 



162 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

animal only may be affected, or a number at the 
same time. 

The first symptoms noticed is the animal is stiff 
in its movements, especially the hind legs. Then 
the muscles in all parts of the body, and if the 
animal is made to move will stagger and may fall, 
and not be able to rise without assistance, and may 
not be able to stand when it is raised up; the appe- 
tite is lost, there is high fever, pulse seventy-five to 
ninety, temperature one hundred and five to one 
hundred and six. Paralysis of different parts of 
the body, the power to swallow is wholly or par- 
tially lost, the eyesight impaired. If the head of 
the animal is elevated at this stage it is usually 
thrown into convulsions or delirium. If the ani- 
mal is lying down it will go through a series of au- 
tomatic movements and will dash its head. On the 
other hand coma may take place, and if the animal 
is not moved will lie perfectly still. The animal 
usually dies in two or three days. 

Treatment : Put the animal in slings as soon as 
noticed, and give aloes one ounce, carbonate of soda 
one ounce, ginger one ounce; dissolve in half a 
pint of hot water, add half a pint of cold, and give 
at one dose. Also give an ounce nitrate of potas- 
sium in the drinking water twice a day. If the 
animal is suffering give two drams extract of bel- 
ladonna every four hours. If the animal is unable 
to stand and is wild with delirium, treatment is of 
no use. I have never seen any good results from 
applying cold water or ice to the head. It is rec- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 163 

ommended to give one quarter of a grain of sul- 
phate of atropia injected under the skin to stimu- 
late the heart. Aromatic spirits of ammonia in 
two-ounce doses has also been used, or one-half 
pint doses of whisky, but I have never seen any 
good result from their use. There is a derange- 
ment which sometimes affects colts at pasture. 
The first thing noticed is a stiffness in the hind 
parts, then the animal loses partial control of 
them; they will stagger from side to side. The 
animal seems to eat and has no fever. This may 
continue for a week or ten days, when the animal 
either begins to improve or loses complete power 
of its hind parts, and often in a few days dies. 
When this is first noticed the animal should be 
taken to the barn and given a dose of aloes accord- 
ing to the age, a one-year-old four drams, a two- 
year-old six drams, a four or five-year-old one 
ounce, made into a ball, or mixed with one ounce 
carbonate of soda and ginger dissolved in half a 
pint of boiling water ; add half a pint of cold water, 
and give at a dose. Follow this by giving two 
ounces sulphate of iron and one ounce nux vomica, 
divided into twelve doses, one to be given twice a 
day in bran mash. Rub the back once a day with 
soap liniment. I have met with a few cases in both 
horses and colts in which the nerves of the back 
were deranged sufficiently to make the hind parts 
wabble. The animal may walk a short distance 
as if it were all right, and all at once the hind parts 
will be affected as above. This derangement is not 



164 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

dangerous to life, and the majority are cured by 
giving one dram of nux vomica in the morning and 
a teaspoonful of phosphate of calcium in the even- 
ing in bran mash. The muscles of the loins should 
be rubbed once daily with a little soap liniment. 

Local Paralysis. — This is usually caused by di- 
rect violence or from pressure on a nerve. The 
most common part affected in horses with this 
kind of paralysis is the face, which is very often 
caused by the animal getting cast and the halter 
drawn tight around the back of the ears under the 
throat, pressing on the facial nerves as they turn 
over the jaw bones. As a result, this injury or pres- 
sure kept up for several hours causes paralysis of 
these nerves, and as a result the lips and sometimes 
the tongue hang to one side and may interfere 
with the animal's eating, and gives it an unsightly 
appearance. 

Treatment: Bathe all the bruised parts with 
acetate of lead half an ounce, water one quart. 
Give a dose of aloes to the horse and Epsom salts 
to cattle; follow this by giving one dram iodide 
of potassium twice a day in a mash for tAVO weeks. 
This will remove any effusion of blood which may 
have been effused around the nerve, and also give 
time for nature to heal the parts and probably 
restore the wounded nerve to its natural condition ; 
and if the animal is not cured give it one dram 
nux vomica in the morning and one and one-half 
drams of sulphate of iron in the evening in bran 
mash, and continue it for three or four weeks. If 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 165 

this does not cure it try Fowler's solution of ar- 
senic in two tablespoonful doses twice daily in the 
feed, and continue it for one month. 

Tetanus, or Lockjaw.— This is a disease char- 
acterized by involuntary and painful con- 
tinued contractions of the muscles, usually 
caused by an injury or operation. The 
nature of this disease is not well under- 
stood, but it must be from some morbid 
agent finding its way into the animal's system 
through the Avound, but of what nature we are not 
sure, as post-mortems reveal no distinct lesion. 
There are two forms of lockjaw. One called idio- 
pathic, which arises from some internal cause, or 
at least we cannot find an external cause. The 
other is called traumatic tetanus, caused by 
wounds or injuries. Punctures to the feet by nails 
is a very common cause, and operations on the tail. 
It is impossible to say what kind of a horse is most 
subject to this disease, or what state of the system 
most favorable to it, as it may happen to any kind 
of a horse from very slight injury, while another 
horse may be very badly smashed up and yet 

escape. 

Symptoms of lockjaw: It may begin in any 
group of muscles, but usually it is either the mus- 
cles of the jaws or the muscles of the neck, loins, 
or hind legs. If it is the jaws there will be a champ- 
ing of the teeth, with a flow of saliva from the 
mouth; the animal will try to eat, but cannot, al- 
though it may be able to drink water. If it is the 
neck, the animal if moved will bend its body, but 



166 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

keep its neck straight, and if you notice, the mem- 
brane of the eye will be drawn partially over it, 
and the nose poked out straight, and the ears 
pricked up inward and backward. If it is affect- 
ing the muscles of the loins and legs the first thing 
noticed will be the stiffness of the animal's move- 
ments, and the hind legs "bent outward. In some 
cases when first noticed all the muscles of the bodv 




PLATE 3. ADVANCED STAGE OP LOCK-JAW. 

will be affected, and if not at first, if not relieved, 
will soon be. 

Treatment: Put the animal in a dark, quiet 
place, and see that no one goes near him but the 
attendant. I have found it best in the majority of 
the cases if the horse had a mate to let it stay with 
it, as the sick animal would be quieter. The bro- 
mide of potassium, if enough can be given, will 
cure the majority of cases. Give two ounces at a 
dose four times a day in a little bran mash, thin 
gruel, or water. Continue this until the spasms 
relax. I have given as much as three pounds be- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 167 

fore I accomplished this. I gave a nine-months' 
old colt two and one-half pounds, so there is no 
danger of giving it in large doses. If the animal 
has lost the power of swallowing it is best to put it 
out of pain. The injecting of three grains of eser- 
ine under the skin is said to be useful in some few 
cases, but I have never seen any benefit from its 
use. Since I have discovered the bromide treat- 
ment, and the animal can swallow, I have saved all 
cases. If possible the animal should be placed in 
a loose sling. By this means it may be prevented 
from falling during the severe seizure. Applica- 
tions to the external surface of the body seem to 
be of little use, but rather augment the animal's 
suffering. The wound ought to be cleaned out and 
belladonna extract applied, but I find in most 
cases that the lifting of the limb to dress it causes 
more disturbance than the benefit resulting from 
the treatment. Where the majority fail is in not 
giving a sufficient quantity of medicine, as it takes 
at least five times the usual dose to have any effect. 
I believe if other medicines recommended were 
given in sufficient doses they might be of use. 

Azoturia. — This is a name given to a disease pe- 
culiar to the horse, as it has not been seen in any 
other animal. It is a disease associated with dis- 
turbed assimilation and characterized by muscu- 
lo-nervous spasms of the muscles of the hips and 
loins and the discharge of high-colored urine. We 
will not take up the reader's time with the pathol- 
ogy of the disease, as to my mind it has not been 



168 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

fully made out what it really is ; but we do know 
the cause, jDrevention and remedy. 

Causes: The horse has been at hard work, and 
for some cause or other it has stopped for a few 
days, but has been standing in the stable getting 
its full allowance of food, which seems to have 
some effect in producing the S]3asms above men- 
tioned as soon as the animal is put to work. 

Symptoms : After the animal is brought out of 
the stable it will be in high spirits; in some cases 
it is difficult to hold it after going a short distance ; 
or it may be in some cases that the animal may be 
driven for several miles before it shows any symp- 
toms, but usually it is only a short distance be- 
fore the animal seems to hang back and show stiff- 
ness in ^ts hind parts ; it w^ill then break out in a 
profuse sweat and seem to be in great pain, and if 
driven on will likely fall and be unable to rise; the 
muscles of the loins and hips swell and become as 
hard as a board, and the animal has no control over 
them, and is therefore unable to rise; it will show 
symptoms of pain by the movements of its forelegs 
and by dashing its head about, and it can usually 
neither pass feces nor urine. It breathes fast and 
hard, and the pulse will be fast and full and the 
temperature high, from one hundred and four to 
one hundred and five. There is no other disease 
that can be mistaken for this one, and as the dis- 
ease is a nervous one I treat it as such, and if the 
animal is attended to soon will always recover. 
As soon as a horse shows signs of stiffness on be- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 169 

ing driven or worked after standing in the stable 
for a few days, it should be stopped at once, even 
if it is in the middle of the street. If this is done 
the disease will not progress any further. This is 
a peculiarity of this disease that it requires move- 
ment to develop it. Allow the animal to stand for 
an hour or two, then move it, and if it is still stiff 
it will then be necessary to give it some medicine, 
but in the majority of cases it will move off in 
pretty good shape. In bad cases, when the animal 
is down, give it two ounces of sweet spirits of nitre 
and one ounce aromatic spirits of ammonia in a 
pint of cold water, and repeat it every half hour 
until four doses have been given. In mild cases, 
if necessary, give this as an antispasmodic to re- 
lieve the spasms of the muscles, and a stimulant 
to the nerves, put a newly flayed sheep skin on the 
loins and hips, the flesh side next the skin of the 
horse; this will produce a great heat, which will 
give relief. If this cannot be obtained blankets 
wrung out of boiling water should be put on the 
loins and kept there by dry ones on top. Change 
every twenty minutes and continue it for several 
hours, and to be of any use it requires to be done 
well. If it is impossible to do this the back may 
be rubbed with compound soap liniment three 
times a day and a blanket put on; the bowels 
should be emptied by injections of warm water 
and soap, and the urine drawn off with a catheter. 
If the animal is thirsty give it all the cold water it 
wants. Half an ounce of nitrate of potassium can 
be dissolved in it if the animal will take it. It is 



170 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

recommended to give a strong dose of aloes in this 
disease, but by the treatment above the animal 
ought to be on its feet before the aloes could have 
any effect. If the horse shows any signs of stiff- 
ness or drags the leg or legs, give one dram of the 
fluid extract of nux vomica in a little water, or one 
dram of the powder in the feed, two or three times 
a day for a week. If the muscles of any part of 
the hips or legs should waste rub on a little of the 
following ointment: Cantharides two drams, vase- 
line one and one-half ounces. Apply once a week 
and give gentle exercise. To prevent the disease, 
if the animal is to be idle for a few days, give it less 
food, or see that it is exercised every day and there 
will be no danger of this disease. Mares seem to 
be more subject to this disease than horses. Ten 
mares are probably affected with it to one horse. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 171 



CHAPTER XI. 

INFLUENZA (EPIZOOTIC OR CATARRHAL FEVER). 

Influenza is a specific disease of tlie horse, usu- 
ally appearing as an epizootic, affecting tlie mu- 
cous membrane of tlie air passages and sometimes 
the mucous membrane of the eyelids, giving rise 
to the term "Pink-eye," or affecting the mucous 
membrane of the intestines, causing colic or inflam- 
mation of the bowels. This disease is attended 
with marked lassitude and prostration, and usu- 
ally appears in the spring or fall months, affecting 
a few animals or all the horses in a district. If a 
horse affected by it is put into a stable of healthy 
horses, in a short time a number of them will be 
taken ill, or it may be all the horses in the stable 
will be seized with it. The cause of influenza is 
supposed to be a vegetable fungus, as such has 
been found in the discharges from the nose. The 
causes are thought to be the condition of the at- 
mosphere, or the animal being exposed to cold. In 
the Spring and Fall, when the horse is changing its 
coat and the pores of the skin are open, the horse 
is more liable to colds. If the animal is exposed to 
the cold winds and rains it will likely cause a dis- 
ease which resembles influenza; but we find when 
there is an epizootic of it that horses which are well 
kept will take it as readily as those exposed, and 



172 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

on that account it seems as if the fungus were the 
cause. Influenza usually runs its course in two 
weeks to twenty days, and in the majority of cases 
if the horse is not worked and carefully nursed it 
will recover without any medicine. 

Symptoms : There is sneezing, a short, trouble- 
some cough, redness and dryness of the membrane 
of the nose, the eyelids are inflamed, and there will 
be tears trickling over the face; the pulse is fre- 
quent and weak, and the animal does not w^ant to 
move. In a day or two there will be a discharge 
from the nose, at first watery, then a yellow mat- 
ter. The cough, w^hich comes on in paroxysms or 
fits, increases in depth. The animal keeps its head 
down and its nose protruded. If the throat is sort.- 
it will have difliculty in swallowing water or food. 
In bad cases part of the food and water will be 
ejected through the nose. In some cases the eye- 
lids will swell and close the eyes, and on lifting up 
the eyelid it will be found very red; in this case it 
is called "Pink Eye." If the fever is high and the 
pulse from seventy to eighty and the temperature 
one hundred and six, the horse is in a dangerous 
condition and requires to be carefully looked after. 
In the majority of bad cases all the cellular tissue 
under the skin is affected and there will be more 
or less swelling of the legs and under the belly; 
the bowels are usually constipated and the urine 
scanty and high colored. About the end of the 
first week a change takes place, the discharge from 
the nose is increased and thicker, and the cough 
softer and not so distressing, the pulse is less fre- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 17^ 

qiient and stronger, the animal moves about in his 
stall, drinks with more ease, and the appetite is 
better, and if no complications take place the 
horse makes a rapid recovery. On the other hand, 
if the breathing becomes rough, fast, and labored, 
there is swelling^bout the throat, and on putting 
the ear to the windpipe a rough, harsh sound is 
heard, laryngitis, or, it may be, bronchitis, has 
taken place, or lung fever, inflammation of the 
bowels, rheumatism, or heart failure. Any of 
these complications taking place will retard recov- 
ery or may cause death, and should be carefully 
guarded against. 

Treatment : Give complete rest in all cases. If 
the appetite is good, give bran mash night and 
morning with a tablespoonful of ground ginger, 
two ounces Epsom salts, and half an ounce of ni- 
trate of potassium. Clothe the body and bandage 
the legs, give all the cold water the animal wants 
to drink and any kind of food it will eat. If the 
cough is troublesome put a piece of camphor about 
the size of a walnut in a pail of boiling water and 
hold the horse's head over it for fifteen to twenty 
minutes at a time; this should be done several 
times a day. Also give a teaspoonful of fluid ex- 
tract of belladonna and a teaspoonful of chlorate 
of potassium dissolved in half a pint of water and 
gargle the throat. If this does not relieve the 
cough, give one dram of opium and one dram of 
camphor, made into a ball, three times daily, or 
give one ounce compound syrup of squills at a dose 
three times a day. If the animal is w^eak and does 



174 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

not eat, give one ounce each of tincture of ginger, 
gentian and sweet spirits of nitre in a half pint of 
cold water three times a day. Half ounce doses of 
nitrate of potassium should be given once or twice 
daily in the drinking water. Ngyer give tincture 
oi aconite, as it is dangerous medicine to give in 
this form of disease. After the acute stage has 
passed give sulphate of iron and gentian, a tea- 
spoonful of the former and a tablespoonful of the 
latter, in a bran mash or a quart of oatmeal gruel. 
The animal should now get a little exercise, but no 
work until fully recovered. If the throat is sore 
rub on a little mustard once a day for a few days, 
and steam with the hot water and camphor at least 
three times a day. If bronchitis or lung fever sets 
in, the above treatment in the majority of cases 
will be the best. In addition, apply a cantha- 
ridine blister to the sides, made of cantharides, 
two drams; lard three ounces. Rub in well with the 
fingers. This is sometimes a great benefit. Phys- 
ics should not be given, but if the bowels are con- 
fined give injections of warm water. If rheuma- 
tism sets in, and the joints swell and the animal is 
very lame, blister with cantharides as above, and 
give one dram of iodide of potassium twice a day 
in the drinking water, or give tAvo tablespoonfuls 
of Fowler's solution of arsenic twice a day in bran 
mash. 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 175 



CHAPTER XII. 

DISTEMPER (STRANGLES). 

This is a disease peculiar to the horse, and it is 
likely that it will be affected with it some time, 
but seldom gets out of its colthood days without 
getting it. It is therefore called "colt ill." It is 
contagious and can be carried on the clothes of a 
person from one barn to another. It may break 
out in a stable and no other cases in the neighbor- 
hood. The contagion may have been brought in 
some unknown way, or I have no doubt but under 
certain conditions it will develop in a colt or horse 
that has not been exposed to the disease. A horse 
seldom takes this disease twice, and it runs a defi- 
nite course. It is dangerous when checked or 
interfered with, and is successfully treated when 
correctly guided to its natural termination. Some 
seasons the outbreak is of a very mild character, 
in others it may take on a malignant form and a 
number of animals may die. There is no account- 
ing for this. Although a good many theories have 
been brought forward, none is satisfactory. 

Symptoms: There are signs of catarrh, the ani- 
mal is dull, has a cough, and when it swallows 
makes a peculiar sound in its throat. There is 
soreness in the throat and some of the water it 
may be drinking will come back through its nose; 



176 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the head is poked out, a little frothy saliva exudes 
from its mouth, sooner or later there will appear 
a swelling between the jaws, or sometimes at the 
back of the jaw; when this takes place the animal 
has great difficulty in swallowing w^ater and food, 
especially the former. In some cases there is very 
little fever and the appetite remains good. In 
others there may be considerable fever, pulse sixty 
to seventy. In the course of a few days the inflam- 
mation relieves itself in the formation of matter, 
which will soon come to the surface and break of 
its own accord if not opened. After this takes 
place the animal is much relieved. Cases may be 
met with where a small abscess may form and the 
animal may show no other symptoms; this soon 
breaks, discharges and heals. In others, although 
not very sick, the condition of ill health may con- 
tinue for several weeks, and finally an abscess ap- 
pears, matures, and the animal soon recovers. 
Again, others may swell in the inside and suffer 
great distress and may suffocate. Irregular stran- 
gles is where abscesses form in other parts of the 
body, such as on the shoulders, hips, flank, side of 
the neck, or back of the elbow; also in the liver, 
between the lungs, or in other parts. As long as 
the abscess forms on the outside it is not danger- 
ous to life, but those on the internal organs usually 
cause death. The sequel of distemper most fre- 
quently occurring is a thickening of the lining of 
the throat, which interferes with the animaPs 
breathing, causing what is called roaring or whis- 
tling. The more serious sequel is blood poisoning 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 177 

from the absorption of matter from the abscesses 
forming on the internal organs. About the ninth 
or tenth day the animal onght to begin to improve. 
On the other hand, if at that time the fever is in- 
creased, appetite lost, breathing is fast and some- 
what labored, and the temperature one hundred 
and five to one hundred and six, there is occasion 
for alarm, as it indicates that something is going 
wrong inwardly. 

Treatment : In the early stages of distemper put 
the animal in a warm, well- ventilated stable. 
Clothe the body and bandage the legs. If the 
throat is sore put a piece of camphor gum into a 
pail of boiling water and put it under the animaPs 
head and throw a blanket loosely over it to keep 
in the steam; continue this for fifteen to twenty 
minutes and repeat it three times a day. Dissolve 
two drams of chlorate of potassium in half a pint 
of cold water and put in one teaspoonful of the 
fluid extract of belladonna. Shake up and gargle 
the throat. This is best done by holding the head 
a little above the level and pouring a little into the 
mouth ; rub the tongue to make the animal move it. 
If the animal coughs, let the head down at once, 
and after it ceases coughing pour in a little more, 
and so on until it is all used; do this three times 
a day. If there is any fever give half an ounce of 
nitrate of potassium m its drinking water once 
daily. Physic should not be given. If the bowels 
are confined give injections of soap and warm wa- 
ter. If an abscess forms, poultice it with warm 
linseed poultice, changing it once a day. When 



178 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the abscess becomes soft, open it and inject a little 
lotion made of carbolic acid, half an ounce; water, 
one pint. Poultice for a few days after it breaks, 
to soften the surrounding iDarts so that there will 
be no bunch left after it heals. After the acute 
stage has passed mix and divide into twenty-four 
doses, four ounces sulphate of iron, four ounces 
nitrate of potassium, and two ounces nux vomica, 
one to be given twice a day in bran mash mixed 
with a little oats. If there should be a great dis- 
charge of matter from the nose after the animal is 
convalescent, put one ounce oil of turpentine into 
a pail of boiling water and put it under the head 
as above; do this several times daily. If the ab- 
scess is tardy in forming, rub on cantharides, two 
drams; vaseline, one and a half ounces. If the 
glands of the neck should remain enlarged after 
the animal has recovered, rub on biniodide of mer- 
cury, one dram ; lard, one and a half ounces. Re- 
peat every second week. If abscesses form on 
other parts of the body they should be treated as 
above. If the animal's appetite is poor, give one 
ounce each of tincture of ginger, gentian, and chlo- 
ride of iron in a quart of oatmeal gruel three times 
a day. Give the animal small quantities of food 
at a time and often, as it will eat a little fresh hay 
or oats when it would refuse to eat that which was 
in its manger. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 179 



CHAPTER XIII. 

GLANDERS AND FARCY. 

Glanders is a malignant contagious disease pe- 
culiar to the horse, but can be produced in any of 
the warm-blooded animals by inoculation. It is 
characterized b}^ a discharge, usually from one nos- 
tril but sometimes from both. It is watery, vis- 
cid, or purulent, and of a bluish color; the mucous 
membrane of the nose and the sinuses of the head, 
the throat, windpipe, and also the lungs are speci- 
fically affected. There is usuall}^ an enlargement 
of the lymphatic glands under the jaw. Glanders 
is a very old disease. The earliest notice of this 
disease is that by Aspyrtus, a veterinary officer in 
the army of Constantine the Great in the fourth 
century, and also by Yigitius. It w^as described 
by these early writers on diseases of the horse as 
Malleus, Morbis, Humidus, etc. Glanders is a dis- 
ease of the temx3erate regions; it does not exist in 
Australia and some other Avarm countries, nor in 
very cold ones, although there are exceptions. It 
exists in Norway and in Java. The cause of gland- 
ers in the great majority of cases is either by con- 
tagion or inoculation, and most cases can be traced. 
On the other hand, when a number of horses have 
been crowded together, as in times of war, and 
where all the horses underwent such rigid inspec- 



180 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tion as to leave little doubt that glanders did not 
exist, yet it was not long before glanders made its 
appearance. I believe that a disease which is pe- 
culiar to any class of animals can be produced 
spontaneously if surrounding circumstances are 
favorable for its development. The conditions 
which would likely be most favorable to cause 
glanders are badly ventilated stables, such as are 
common in large cities, hard work and poor food. 
It is stated that it has broken out in stables which 
have been newly built and plastered and the horse 
put in before the place was perfectly dried. Dis- 
eases which exhaust and depress the system and 
deprive the blood of its proper nutrition, chronic 
nasal gleet, which runs down the system of the 
horse, may cause it. Farcy is the same disease as 
glanders, onl}- in a milder form, and usually affects 
the lymphatic glands on the inside of the legs, 
which swell and burst and discharge a matter. A 
horse affected with farcy may give another gland- 
ers. 

Symptoms: The chronic form of glanders is 
that usually seen in this country. There is a dis- 
charge from the nose of a bluish, watery, sticky 
matter, usually from one nostril. In looking at 
the membrane of the nose, sores will be seen from 
the size of a pinhead to that of a dime; these sores 
or ulcers are gray in the center and purple at the 
edges. Jn the early stages of this disease there 
may be no ulcers in view. It will be necessary to 
hold up the horse's head and have the clear light 
shown as far up the nostril as possible, or a re- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 181 

Sector may be useful. Some press their fingers 
up the nostril and feel for the ulcers. A chronic 
discharge from one or both nostrils may not be a 
case of glanders, as that can be produced either 
from nasal gleet or a diseased tooth, and man}' 
valuable animals have been destroyed, when upon 
examination after death a decayed tooth has been 
found to be the cause. What we have to look for 
in a case of glanders is the glazy, sticky discharge 
from one nostril, usually ulcers in the membrane 
of the nose, and hard swellings of the lymphatic 
gland under the jaw, and usually adhering to the 
side of the lower jaw, and the absence of any other 
cause for the discharge. In nasal gleet the ani- 
mal should be destroyed in case it should turn into 
glanders. The animal is usually unthrifty, the 
coat is rough and dirty, and although the animal 
may eat well, it does not keep in good flesh. I 
have seen some few cases in which the animal was 
to all appearance healthy, with a fine, sleek skin. 
Acute Glanders. — This is usually caused either 
by inoculation with glandular matter from a 
chronic case by some of the matter becoming ab- 
sorbed into the blood, or a giandered horse may 
receive a wound and some of its own matter may 
get into it and cause acute glanders. The first 
symptoms of acute glanders are shivering fits, in- 
dicating great fever; these fits are often persist- 
ent, the pulse is increased seventy to eighty beats 
per minute, the breathing is fast, and the tempera- 
ture rises rapidly from one hundred and six to one 
hundred and seven ; the animal is in great distress, 



182 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the membrane of the nose swells and the animal 
snuffles or in some cases nearly suffocates; there 
is rapid emaciation and pimples appear on the 
membrane of the nose, either in groups or scat- 
tered; they can be distinguished by their grayisli 
or yellowish-gray center and a red ring on the 
outer edge. In a few days the centers drop out, 
leaving a little pit with the true characteristics 
of an ulcer. These ulcers are not disposed to heal, 
but rather to spread, and become deep and extend 
through the septum nasi (the division between the 
nostrils). The discharge from the nose, which at 
first Avas slight, is now profuse and may be tinged 
with blood from rupture of some of the small 
blood-vessels, caused by the ulcers. I have seen 
some cases in which the division was completely 
ulcerated and destroyed so that there was none 
of it left. The lymphatics in all parts of the body 
become affected, the head, legs and belly swell, 
and there may be an oozing of matter of a yellow 
color from the swollen parts. The lungs become 
involved and the animal soon dies. An animal 
affected with acute glanders seldom lives more 
than from twenty to thirty days. Farcy is the 
name given to glanders when it first makes its ap- 
pearance in the legs, and may be produced by inoc- 
ulation with the discharge either from glanders 
or farcy sores, or by coming into contact with 
horses affected with glanders. It may also be pro- 
duced b}^ an animal getting into that condition of 
health favorable to originate farcy. Why the 
same infecting virus should especially select the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 183 

mucous membrane of the nose and air passages 
in one case and select the skin and its connective 
tissue and the superficial lymphatic glands of the 
legs in another is not easy to determine. I will di- 
yide farcy into two forms, the acute and chronic. 

Acute Farcy. — The symptoms are fever, high 
temperature, and fast pulse, seventy to eighty per 
minute; loss of appetite, and the skin takes on an 
unhealthy appearance and there may be shivering 
spells; the legs swell and the lymphatic glands up 
the inside of the legs are tender to the touch; there 
will also be more or less swelling under the belly. 
After a time the general swelling gradually sub- 
sides, circumscribed lumps appear, known as 
farcy-buds, and a corded condition of the inside of 
the hind legs. These buds arise from the skin 
very suddenly and after a few days the skin bursts 
and there is a slight discharge, leaving a raw, deep 
sore or ulcer. These ulcers distend and discharge 
a foul, creamy liquid tinged with blood. These 
have the characteristics of the ulcers of glanders 
found on the membrane of the nose. Their tend- 
ency is to spread, and they do not heal easily, if 
at all. The lymphatics of the legs remain swollen 
and somewhat painful if the animal is moved or 
they are pressed upon. Although the horse may 
regain its appetite, the fever never leaves, and the 
animal soon becomes very much emaciated, and 
prostration goes on rapidly. It terminates either 
in acute glanders or the animal dies from sheer ex- 
haustion. 

Chronic Farcy. — This form is manifested by lo- 



184 DISEASES OF KOR3E3 AND CATTLE. 

cal swellings, tumors or buds in connection with 
the skin and the surrounding tissue. After a time 
these soften and ulcerate, leaving an unhealthy, 
ragged, open sore, which discharges a liquid and 
has no disposition to heal. These tumors are 
found in various parts of the body — on the face, 
under the jaws, sides of neck, anterior parts of 
chest, inside of the fore legs, along the belly, over 
the flanks and inside of the hind legs. These tu- 
mors var}^ much in size in different parts of the 
body. The lymphatics in the neighborhood of 
these tumors are swollen and hard, and inside of 
the hind leg they will be corded. The appetite of 
the animal may remain good and do its work as 
usual, and may remain in good condition, but 
usually they become dr^^-haired and take on an un- 
healthy appearance. Although some cases of 
chronic farcy recover, it is not well to undertake 
treatment, for your own safety as well as for the 
safety of the other horses w^hich might become af- 
fected with the disease. The treatment would be 
to give the animal two drams of sulphate of copper 
twice a day in mash, and continue it for a month ; 
feed good hay and oats; wash the sores and dress 
them by dusting iodoform powder on them twice 
daily, or by washing them with chloride of zinc, 
one dram ; water, one pint ; or sanitas oil, one part ; 
sweet oil, two parts, and keep the animal separat- 
ed from the others while undergoing this treat- 
ment. Stables and old houses in which a gland- 
ered or farcied horse has been, as. well as harness, 
clothing, etc., must be disinfected. Everything in 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 185 

the stable which can be removed should be burned; 
the clothing and harness can be boiled, which will 
destroy the germ. All parts of the building should 
be washed with carbolic acid, six ounces; water, 
one gallon. After it has been thoroughly washed, 
close all the doors, windows and all openings tight. 
Then put from one to two x^ounds of sulphur in a 
pot containing burning coal, and keej) it close for 
ten or twelve hours. Then throw open the doors 
and windows for several da^^s before putting 
horses into it. The drains of the stable and the 
dung, and in fact everything in which there is any 
possibility for any of the diseased germs to find 
lodging, should be destroyed. If there is a drain, 
large quantities of fresh water ought to be forced 
through, and finish by mixing carbolic acid and 
water and flush that through and burn the dung. 



186 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

HORSE POX (VARIOLA EQUINA). 

This is a pustular disease, making its appear- 
ance most commonly on the fetlocks and pasterns, 
but may be found on other parts of the skin or the 
mucous membrane of the nose, and cases have 
been reported where the mucous membrane of the 
lungs became affected. On account of it breaking 
out on the i)asterns it has been mistaken for grease 
in the heels. This disease usually makes its ap- 
pearance as an epizootic. It appeared in this 
form in Canada in the winter of 1876; hundreds 
of horses were laid up at the same time. It start- 
ed in Montreal, and spread rapidly by contagion. 
The first symptoms noticed in the majority of cases 
were: The horse was dull and slightly stiff, the ap- 
petite usually remained good; next, slight swell- 
ings of the fetlocks, and if rubbed with the hand 
they would be hot and tender to the touch, and 
soon hard, rather flat lumps, from the size of a pea 
to that of a half-dollar, could be felt. These soon 
sunk in the center and a small piece of skin would 
drop off, leaving a pit from which was discharged 
a copious, thin graj fluid, which Avould irritate the 
parts it passed over, causing them to become sore. 
If it lodged around the coronet for some time, it 
Avould cause a separation of the hoof, and in some 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 187 

cases the fluid would get in between the hoof and 
sensitive parts and cause great pain and destruc- 
tion of the part. Where a considerable part of the 
pastern and fetlock was affected, the discharge 
would be sufficient to cause the bedding to become 
wet with it, or if bandages were put on they soon 
became soaked with the fluid. In a number of 
cases the hind legs would swell to a great size, and 
sometimes the pustules would appear on the inside 
of the legs, causing great lameness. In some cases 
there would be considerable fever, pulse sixty to 
seventy, temperature one hundred and two to one 
hundred and five, appetite poor, urine scanty and 
high colored, and the bowels confined. In some 
cases where the swelling was great the animal 
could not rise if it lay down; but in most cases 
they do not lie down. Those attending animals 
affected with this disease, if they are not careful 
to wash their hands well with soap and hot water 
and then use carbolic lotion (half an ounce to a 
pint of water) and a nail brush to clean under the 
nails, are very likely to suffer greatly, as it will 
affect the tender part under the nails. I know of 
a number of cases of this kind also from picking 
the nose or putting up the hand before it was prop- 
erly washed to protect the ear from the cold. A 
great many laughable but painful cases occurred 
to men attending horses having this disease, but 
I only know of one fatal case in man from it. 

Treatment: When first noticed, and before the 
pustules break, grease all around the top of the 
hoof and heels with lard and vaseline, so that it 



188 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

will preveDt it from injuring the coronet and heels. 
Give the horse half-ounce doses of nitrate of potas- 
sium three times a day in bran mash or drinking 
water. If the leg is swollen above the pustules, 
bathe it with acetate of lead, half an ounce; water, 
one quart. It is best not to use any medicine or 
water on the pustular parts, as it will only delay 
the progress of the disease. When the pustules 
burst I have found great improvement by spraying 
on the sores carbolic lotion (two drams to one pint 
of water). Washing the parts, as is often done, 
keeps the healing process back. Do not remove 
any scabs that form. If the pustules should break 
before there was any lard rubbed around the coro- 
nets and heels, and they have not become sore, 
wash off clean with soap and water and apply a 
little carbolic lotion, and when the part dries rub 
on the lard; be very careful about this, as it will 
save the animal a great deal of pain and the owner 
much trouble. If the sores are slow in healing 
with the carbolic lotion and they have ceased dis- 
charging, use a little oxide of zinc ointment; 
strength, one ounce zinc oxide, A^aseline two 
ounces. If the mouth becomes the seat of the dis- 
ease and the lips swell, it will be necessary to feed 
the animal on soft food and bathe the lips with 
a little lead lotion. If the throat or bronchial 
tubes of the lungs, treat as recommended for lung 
troubles. Keep the animal in a comfortable, dry 
place and give it all the food and cold water it will 
take. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 189 



CHAPTER XV. 

BLACK LEG (INFLAMMATORY FEVER). 

In the Veterinarian, February, 1880, Dr. Green- 
field's lecture on this disease says: "This disease 
did not appear in healthy animals inoculated with 
black leg virus, and no bacteria was found in the 
blood of animals affected with this disease, which 
shows that it is not an anthrax disorder, but is 
brought on by the kind of food the animal is fed 
upon. Cattle of all ages are liable to become af- 
fected, but young stock appear to be most readily 
so; six-month-old calves and up to two years, seem 
to be those usually affected when changed from a 
poor pasture to a rich, especially low-lying lands. 
Such animals fatten with rapidity and soon attain 
a high state of plethora, when perhaps some of 
them become lame. Stop feeding and soon a 
swelling appears in some part of the body, espe- 
cially about the hocks or stifle. It is hot and very 
painful, and is often mistaken for an injury. If 
at first it was painful, the pain soon leaves, and it 
becomes insensible, and if cut with a knife, a little 
watery black blood will exude. The part has be- 
come gangrenous, cold, and crackles on pressure 
as if it was full of air. This is caused by the forma- 
tion of gas from the decomposition of the blood. 
Later on, when the swellings are cut into there will 



190 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

be an accumulation of putrid sanious and yellow 
gelatinous material under the skin and between 
the muscles, also black patches on various parts 
of the body. At the beginning, or if the animals 
are noticed, there w-ill be fever, loss of appetite, 
high temperature. It is said that when the swell- 
ing begins, the fever subsides a little, but I have 
not seen this in the cases that came under my ob- 
servation. The animal becomes rapidly feeble and 
soon dies. In the early stage the bowels are usu- 
ally confined, and near the end blood is mixed with 
the feces. The animal stands wath its neck out- 
stretched, breathing rapidly, and with a moan. 
Some few cases recover when the animal has 
strength to throw off those parts w^hicli have be- 
come mortified, leaving ugly sores, which after a 
time heal by granulations. On post-mortem ex- 
aminations, besides what is seen on the outside, 
there is congestion of the lungs, and the bronchial 
tubes are filled with a tough, frothy mucous. This 
disease is seen in certain places and at certain 
times, — the spring, early summer, and autumn. 
It never occurs in winter in cold countries. Poor 
animals are never affected with this disease, and 
can be prevented by not overfeeding, especially on 
rapidly-grown grasses on low lands. If the ani- 
mal has to be fed on such grass, allow it to be 
there for a short time each day and then remove 
it to a poor, short pasture and feed some dry food, 
such as hay. After the grass has grown and be- 
comes harder there will be no danger of allowing 
the animal to remain in it all day. 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 191 

Treatment : Open the swellings with a knife and 
inject carbolic acid half an onnce, water one 
quart, or inject a lotion of this kind all around the 
swelling with a hypodermic syringe. Give one 
ounce each of tincture chloride of iron, ginger, and 
gentian at a dose three times a day in half a pint 
of water; this dose is for yearlings. Half this 
quantity for a calf six months old. Remove all 
the well ones and give a dose of Epsom salts, four 
ounces for a calf, half a pound for a yearling, one 
pound for a two-year-old, and one and one-half for 
a cow. Feed on dry food or turn into a poor pas- 
ture, and if this is done there will be no further 
trouble. 

Pyemia (Blood Poisoning). — Septicemia pus 
getting into the blood is best treated by tincture 
chloride of iron, gentian, and ginger, one ounce 
each three times a day, and feeding good food. 



192 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

RHEUMATISM. 

This is a disease characterized by more or less 
pain and swelling of the joints, although in some 
cases no swelling appears. There is a tendency to 
shift from one part to another; that is, a horse 
may be lame in one leg for a day or two, then the 
lameness shifts to the other, and so on; or the sore- 
ness may remain for months in one place. I have 
seen cases where one hind leg and one fore leg 
were affected at the same time. There is a great 
difference of opinion as to the nature of this dis- 
ease. It is described to be a specific acute fever 
caused by some morbid material in the system, 
having a special tendency to affect the coverings 
of muscles and tendons, causing great pain and 
lameness, and I have no doubt but such is the case 
sometimes. It is thought to be caused by an ac- 
cumulation of urea in the muscular structure, and 
by increasing the elimination of this material from 
the system the rheumatism disappears. When it 
affects the joints there is an effusion of a fluid ma- 
terial which invades the capsules of the joints, 
causing them to swell. 

Symptoms: Of the local symptoms there will be 
lameness, severe and sudden; when the animal was 
last seen it was all right, but now it is hardly able 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 193 

to move, and if it does, it is with great difficulty. 
On examination one or more of the joints will be 
very painful. There may be no swelling, but 
usually there is. The joints most frequently af- 
fected are the stifle and fetlock. The hock and 
hip less so. The swellings, when occurring, are 
usually between the tendons, and if in the hock 
joint may be taken for bog spavin. The pain con- 
tinues, it may be, only for several hours, or it may 
be for several days, when all at once in some un- 
accountable manner the pain and swelling become 
reduced or may entirely disappear, to shift to some 
other joint or limb, and so on until it may disap- 
pear altogether. . These local symptoms are gen- 
erally accompanied with more or less fever and a 
decided rise in the temperature. The pulse is 
from sixty to seventy per minute and the breath- 
ing somewhat increased. 

Treatment: For this form of rheumatism I find 
that a good dose of physic is useful, and the best 
is one pint of raw linseed oil and twenty drops of 
croton oil. This is for both horses and cattle. 
Follow this by giving nitrate of potassium half- 
ounce doses three times a day in the drinking wa- 
ter. If the pulse is fast and full, give tincture of 
aconite in twenty-drop doses every two hours in a 
little water. After several days, if there is no im- 
provement, give dram doses of iodide of potassium 
three times a day with half an ounce of wine of 
colchicum. When all fever has subsided. Fowler's 
solution of arsenic in half-ounce doses twice a day 
in bran mash is often very useful. 



194 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Treatment of Rheumatism in Horses and Cattle. 
— Salicylic acid does not seem to be of much use. 
If this derangement becomes chronic and the 
joints remain swollen, blister them with canthar- 
ides two drams, lard one ounce; rub in well and 
let it remain on for twenty-four hours, then wash off 
and grease. Repeat in two weeks and give half- 
ounce doses of Fowler's solution of arsenic twice 
a day in a bran mash. I find this is the only rem- 
edy for chronic rheumatism. 

There is a derangement which I think proper to 
call rheumatic inflammation of the muscles, espe- 
cially the muscles of the loins and the hind legs, 
although the muscles of other parts may be af- 
fected. I have had a number of cases of this kind 
and they have all been from the same cause: expo- 
sure to cold in cold, damp weather when the animal 
has been heated. One case was from driving a 
horse a long distance and then turning it out to 
pasture late at night, and during the night it 
rained and became cold and the horse was found 
on the following morning standing with its feet 
gathered up underneath it, with back arched, and 
it was with difficulty the animal could be moved. 
There was considerable fever and the muscles were 
sore to the touch. It kept constantly lifting first 
one hind foot, then the other, and had the appear- 
ance of a horse that was foundered; the feet were 
cool and the muscles sore, and if the horse lay 
down it suffered great pain and Avould not lie still 
one moment. If it were founder the feet would 
be hot and the animal would be comfortable while 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 195 

it was down. The above are the symptoms of this 
trouble. In bad cases the animal will not eat, but 
drinks freely. 

Treatment: Give a dose of physic to clean out 
the bowels and reduce the fever, also give tincture 
of aconite in twenty-drop doses in a little water 
every two hours for the first day. After the physic 
operates, if the animal is in much pain, give two 
ounces of opium three or four times a day in a lit- 
tle water. Bathe the legs and loins with hot wa- 
ter, taking care that the animal does not get cold 
after it. After bathing for half an hour, dry and 
rub the parts well with soap liniment, then blanket 
and cover ui3 the legs. Keep the kidneys active by 
giving half-ounce doses of nitrate of potassium. 
After two weeks, if the animal remains stiff give 
half-ounce doses of Fowler's solution of arsenic in 
bran mash and continue it for several weeks. If 
the joints should swell and remain sore, blister 
with cantharides as for rheumatism. 



196 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTEB XVII. 

TUBERCULOSIS. 

This is a constitutional disease, usually locating 
itself in the lungs, although it is found in other or- 
gans of the body, such as the glands of the intes- 
tines, mesenteric glands, and glands of the udder. 
This disease affects cattle more than any other 
domestic animals. This disease is hereditary and 
is found more frequently among cattle that have 
been inbred. It is also most common among the 
improved herds, thus short horns, especially good 
milkers, are more predisposed to this disorder. In 
the last few years a great deal of attention has 
been called to this disease, and a few veterinarians 
have allowed themselves to be carried away be- 
yond the bounds of reason on this disease and have 
caused needless alarm and have done a great deal 
of harm to the cattle industry, as well as scaring 
the people. 

Tuberculosis is a very old disease and is de- 
scribed by writers several thousand years ago, and 
if the disease is as contagious as some are asking 
the people to believe, there would not be a warm- 
blooded animal alive. Their theory is that rats, 
mice, and other small animals which eat out of feed 
boxes of cattle affected with tuberculosis will con- 
tract the disease and give it to others; also, that a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 197 

person who has tuberculosis attending to cattle will 
give the disease to them, and that it is contagious 
and infectious from one animal to another; also, 
that the milk and flesh of an animal affected with 
the disease is unfit for food. If this were the case, 
and as many cows affected with this disease asthey 
represent, I think very few people would be free 
from the disease. Such, however, is not the case, 
as the census of Europe shows that tuberculosis 
is on the decrease, and this is accounted for in the 
improved condition of living, more meat and milk 
being used than in days gone by. The slaugh- 
tering of cattle to stamp out tuberculosis is out of 
the question if the disease can be spread from the 
human being to the cattle they attend, and also 
from the rats and mice. I think the people are 
awakening to the absurdity of what has been done 
and are taking a common-sense view of the mat- 
ter. I would suggest the use of tuberculine be dis- 
continued, as there is danger of it producing tu- 
berculosis in healthy animals, and as long as cows 
and other cattle are in good condition, eating well, 
giving a good supply of milk, etc., they should not 
be interfered with. If a cow should show signs 
of ill health it would be wise to have her examined 
by a qualified veterinary surgeon, and if tubercu- 
losis was discovered the animal ought to be de- 
stroyed, or at least separated from the others and 
put under treatment for several months. 

Symptoms of tuberculosis: The first is a cough, 
but the cough of itself is not sufficient, as a cough 
is often caused by irritation of the throat. Sue- 



198 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ceeding the cough there will be dry skin and the 
hair standing up, and the animal gradually losing 
flesh, although the appetite may remain unim- 
paired. The mucous membranes are pale in color 
and the pulse becomes weak, and if the animal is 
driven fast, there will be a tendency to suffocation 
or difficult breathing. If the cow is giving milk 
it decreases in quantity and quality, and by de- 
grees the animal becomes greatly debilitated; pain 
is evinced on pressure on the ribs, the temperature 
of the body is usually increased to a hundred and 
two to a hundred and three. This condition may 
continue for several months. When the cough be- 
comes hacking the resi^iration becomes very fast 
and the pulse quick and weak; diarrhoea sets in 
and carries off the animal. 

Treatment : If treatment is tried, use tonics and 
stimulants. Tincture chloride of iron, ginger and 
gentian, one ounce each, given in gruel or water 
three times a day. Boiled flaxseed given in bran 
mash once a day is very useful. But it is wise to 
destroy at once when the case is one of tubercu- 
losis. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 199 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

FRACTURES AND DISEASES OF BONES. 

Fractures usually occur from violence, such as 
a kick, slipping and falling, and sometimes from 
violent contracting of the muscles. The bones of 
old animals are much easier broken than those of 
the young. Bones are more readily fractured by 
a diseased condition, and at times the bones are 
more brittle than at others, and a trivial cause may 
produce fracture, as I have known fractures to oc- 
cur while a horse was traveling on a level, hard 
road. The bones of most healthy animals will 
bend slightly, and for this reason will often pre- 
vent fracture. There is a little elasticity to all 
bones, especially to the young. Simple fracture 
is where the bone is broken without wounding the 
soft parts. Compound or open when there is an 
open wound communicating with the broken bone. 
Comminuted when the bone is broken into several 
fragments. Complicated when together with the 
fracture there is serious injuries of the adjoining 
structures, lacerated, open joint, or serious con- 
tusion of the tissues. In the majority of cases the 
only kind of fracture that is worth treating is the 
simple, for the reason that it is impossible to keep 
the animal quiet, and that the ends of a fractured 
bone with wounded flesh will keep up the irrita- 



200 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tion, causing inflammation and mortification. The 
bones of the horse or cattle will unite as readily as 
in the human being if we could only keep the parts 
quiet. 

Mode of union : First, there is an exudation of 
lymph, which is at first slightly granular, but be- 
comes, at a later period, elastic and moderately 
firm. It soon attains firmness, which is called a 
callus, and by degrees this is consolidated into 
hard bone. After a time the callus becomes par- 
tially or wholly absorbed, leaving the parts nearly 
smooth. Therefore in simple fracture, even if the 
parts are not kept quiet, the developing process 
will go on. It being elastic, will at first allow of a 
certain amount of motion, and as it hardens the 
motion becomes less until it stops altogether. I 
have known colts to be turned out with a broken 
leg, and if inflammation did not set in, would soon 
get all right. 

Treatment of fractures : The first thing to do is 
to reduce the fracture as soon as possible and keep 
the ends of the bones in apposition to prevent them 
from lacerating the flesh or soft tissue; and before 
swelling and inflammation set in, place the horse 
in a sling. This can be done by fixing four posts 
wide enough for the animal's body and far enough 
apart so that the posts in front will be in line with 
the horse's breast and the others at the hips. Then 
take two poles and sew strong bags to them and 
place one of the poles on each side and the bags 
under the animal's belly, then fasten the poles to 
the posts and put a cross-piece in front and one 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 201 

behind, and your sling is complete. The cross- 
pieces should be well padded to prevent chafing. 
When the animal is put into the sling, then the 
fractured parts require to be kept in their places. 
This is done by splints and bandages. Take long 
strips of muslin about four inches in width and put 
them in starch and wrap them several times 
around the part, then apply the splints, which can 
be made of pieces of wood, hard leather, or gutta 
percha. Then roll a starched bandage around the 
splints to keep them in their places. Some use the 
plaster of paris bandages, which are useful. If 
an animal gets its leg fractured in the pastern and 
cannot be taken to the stable, I have had good suc- 
cess by applying the starched bandages and using 
splints, without putting the animal in slings. 
Block tin made to fit the part is very useful for this 
purpose, as it is light and easily kept in its place. 
Animals may be very lame for a long time after the 
fracture has united, but if no joint is involved re- 
covery will gradually take place. 

Symptoms of fracture: When the leg is the 
part fractured there is sudden and great lameness, 
with more or less deformity, and the animal is 
unable to bear weight upon that leg. By applying 
the ear to the part and moving the limb a crepitat- 
ing sound will be heard. If it is a simple fracture, 
without the soft parts being injured, it is advisable 
to try treatment. On the other hand, if the soft 
parts are wounded and the animal not of much 
value, the wisest plan is to put it out of pain. If 
the animal is a valuable mare or stallion treat- 



202 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ment might be tried, for although the limb was de- 
formed or the animal lame, it would be useful for 
stud purposes. 

Fractures of the Anterior Iliac Spine. — This 
form of fracture is usualh^ caused b}^ the animal 
falling on its haunch or striking it against the 
side of a door post, gate or wall, breaking' off a 
piece of the most prominent part of the quarter. 
It does not always cause lameness, but is easily 
seen by the flattened appearance of the quarter. 
If the bone is completely broken off it will be 
drawn down by the abdominal muscles. I saw a 
case of this kind. A young hol^se while running 
slipped and fell, fracturing its haunch. The parts 
inflamed and separation took place, and the piece 
of bone was drawn down to the flank, where it 
caused inflammation. Matter formed. I opened it 
and removed a piece of bone half the size of the 
hand. The wound was treated and the part 
healed. Little can be done for a case of the kind 
except to keep down local inflammation by giving 
rest and applying cold applications, and if matter 
should form it indicates that there is a piece of 
the bone detached, which will have to be removed, 
and then dressed as for an ordinary wound. 

Fracture of the Shaft of the Ilium. — If the ends 
of the bone are not displaced the animal may not 
go lame, but if they are the lameness will be great. 
In a fracture of this kind the horse will drag its leg 
and will not be able to support its weight on it. 
The other parts of the limb being all right our at- 
tention is directed to the bones of the hip and at 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 203 

the place of fracture there will be, in the majority 
of cases, a sinking of the muscle end ; on applying 
the ear to the part and moving the limb gently a 
crepitating sound will be heard, the ends of the 
fractured bones grating. If the fracture should be 
in the hip joint treatment would be of no use, but 
if the animal is a valuable mare, put it in a sling 
and keep as quiet as possible, and if the muscles 
swell apply cold water. I have seen a, few cases 
of fracture of the shaft of the hip bone unite and 
the animal be as useful as before the fracture. 

Split or Fracture of the Pelvis (Symphysis Pu- 
bis). — This happens frequently in fat cattle if kept 
on slippery floors, the feet spreading and the ani- 
mal falling, causing a split in the union of the two 
bones, called the pubic bones. In this case nothing 
can be done in the way of treatment. 

Fracture of the Tuberosity of the Ischium. — 
This is caused from the patient falling back on its 
buttock. The symptoms of this are an alteration 
in the shape of the buttock. On moving the part a 
crepitating sound will be heard; there will be some 
lameness and swelling. If the bone is not de- 
tached it will Soon reunite if the animal is given 
rest. Very little treatment is needed in this case. 
If the part swells much, bathe it several times 
daily with cold water. If it becomes detached 
matter will form, and on opening the part the de- 
tached bone can be removed and the wound 
treated as usual. 

Fracture of the Femur (Thigh Bone). — This frac- 
ture is caused by the animal falling with its leg 



204 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

under it, and sometimes by contraction of the mus- 
cles of the thigh. Symptoms of this fracture are 
shortening of the leg, the toe being turned inward, 
and a depression in the muscles over the seat of 
the fracture. In such a case put the animal in 
slings. If it is a simple fracture it will likely 
unite, but if it is a compound fracture it is better to 
destroy the animal. 

Fracture of the Stifle Joint of the Patella (Stifle 
Bone). — This is caused by violence, such as kicks. 
This kind of fracture is incurable. Fractures of the 
lower part of the leg are the same as in the front 
leg. 

Fractures of the Kibs Caused by Kicks and Oth- 
er Injuries. — If the ends of the ribs are pressing on 
the lungs it will be necessary to cut down on them 
and draw them outward and apply a pitch plaster 
over the opening to prevent air getting into the 
lungs. In the treatment of all fractures it is nec- 
essary to keep the animal as quiet as possible, and 
in some cases it requires someone to be in constant 
attendance. The animal should have a physic to 
cool the system, a dose of aloes for the horse and 
Epsom salts for cattle. This to be followed by giv- 
ing half an ounce of nitrate of potassium in the 
drinking water once a day. If the animal is suffer- 
ing much pain give two drams of opium made into 
a ball, or give it in a little oatmeal gruel; or if 
there is much fever a few doses of tincture of acon- 
ite, twenty drops every two hours in a little water. 
If the injured parts are hot and tender bathe them 
several times a day with acetate of lead half an 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 205 

ounce, tincture of arnica two ounces, water one 
quart. If matter forms open the part and clean 
out well with carbolic acid one dram, water half 
a pint. Usually if matter forms at the fractured 
part it will be best to destroy the animal. 

Dislocation of the Patella (Stifle Bone).— This 
occurs most frequently among young horses and 
colts. In some colts the muscles attached to this 
bone become relaxed and allow the patella to slip 
out and in at every step with a clicking sound. 




PLATE 4. DISLOCATION OF THE PATELLA 
(STIFLE). 

Very commonly both patellas will be in the same 
condition. 

Causes of dislocation of the patella are slipping 
on rising in the stall, or the animal starting, sud- 
denly and the hind leg slipping too far forward, 
thus slackening the muscles of the stifle too much 
and allowing the bone to slip off. It may also be 
caused by cramps of the muscles of the outside of 
the stifle. 

Symptoms of dislocation of the stifle : The horse 
stands with its affected leg stretched out back- 



206 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ward. There is total inability on the part of the 
animal to bring the leg forward, owing to the pa- 
tella being on the pulley-like groove. Some- 
times the animal will be found standing solid on 
its foot, but on trying to move the animal it seems 
fixed to the ground, and if forced to move it will 
hop on its legs, with the affected one stretched out 
behind. On looking at the joint a swelling will be 
observed on the outside. This is the stifle bone. It 
cannot slip to the inside on account of the high pro- 
jection of the inside of the pulley. If it does take 
place it will be found that the ligaments which 
hold it in place have been ruptured, and the animal 
will be of no use. 

Treatment : In cases where it moves out and in 
at every step, or if it happens to the animal fre- 
quently, keep the animal quiet in the stable and ap- 
ply a blister of cantharides two drams, lard one and 
one-half ounces. Eepeat every second week until 
the part is well. It is sometimes useful to give a 
case of this kind a teaspoonful of phosphate of cal- 
cium twice a day in a bran mash for a few weeks. 
This will give strength and tone to the muscle 
fiber. In cases of dislocation of the patella by ac- 
cident put a rope around the fetlock joint of the 
affected leg, and the other end through a strap or 
collar on the neck, then let two men pull on therope 
and in this way bring the affected leg as far for- 
ward as possible. The operator stands behind tiie 
horse with one hand on the inside of the joint, and 
with the other pushes the patella on its place, 
which it will do with a snap ; then remove the rope 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 207 

and the animal will walk off as if nothing had hap- 
pened. If it has been out for some time there may 
be some swelling and soreness of the part ; bathe 
it with acetate of lead half an ounce, tincture of 
arnica two ounces, water one pint. I have seen 
some cases in which the stifled animal jumped over 
the fence where it was confined. In doing so the 
patella was forced into its place, and the animal 
galloped off as if nothing had happened. This 
method has been tried w^ithout success, and as 
there is danger of the animal making matters 
worse I do not recommend it. 

Dislocation of the Pastern Joints, or a Tendency 
to "Knuckle Over." — This is usually caused from 
diseases of the feet or overwork. It is sometimes 
seen in colts from weakness in the joints. 

Treatment: Give the animal rest, and blister 
the joints with cantharides two drams, lard one 
ounce. For old horses and for colts put one and 
one-half ounces lard. Repeat this every second 
week for several months. If the animal is old and 
the joint diseased treatment will be of no avail. If 
it is caused from overwork, either in j^oung or old, 
besides the blister give a teaspoonf ul of phosphate 
of calcium in the morning and a teaspoonful of 
sulphate of iron in the evening; continue this for 
a month if necessary. 

Complete dislocations of the other joints cannot 
take place without rupture of the binding liga- 
ments of the joint, and in that case it is always wise 
to destroy the animal. 



208 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

DISEASES OF THE JOINTS. 

There are three classes of joints: Immovable, 
movable, and mixed. The immovable joints are 
those which connect flat bones together, such as 
the bones of the face and head, and are not subject 
to any special disease. It is the movable and the 
mixed which we have to deal with, especially those 
of extensive motion. These joints are connected 
by binding and capsular ligaments, and the ends 
of the bones are incrusted with cartilage and the 
true joints lubricated with synovia, secreted by the 
synovial membrane which lines the capsular liga- 
ment. The true joints are very liable to injuries, 
and from the nature of their structure very liable 
to severe inflammation, ulceration, and ossifica- 
tion. It is very common in cities to find old horses 
which have been subjected to heavy work with sev- 
eral of the lumbar vertebrae ossified. This is 
caused by the weight on their backs and from slip- 
ping. The cartilages connecting the bones are 
first irritated, then formed into bone, ending in a 
,^,olidification. The knee is not liable to strains, 
but is often injured by falls and kicks and other 
injuries. The term "broken knees'' is used when 
an animal falls and breaks the skin or otherwise 
injures the knee joint. When it is severe the ani- 
mal suffers great pain and is very lame. 



DISEASES OE'' HORSES AND CATTLE. 2G9 

Treatment: Wash the part and remove all dirt, 
hair, etc., then bathe it with acetate of lead one- 
half ounce, tincture of opium two ounces, water one 
quart. Bathe it three or four times daih^ In cases 
where it is cut deep and the joint water escaping, 
the horse should be put into slings and the 
part cleaned and the hair shaved off at least two 
inches around the wound and gauze cloth satur- 
ated with collodion put over the wound and on the 
shaved part. This should be kept firm with the 
hand for a few minutes until it sticks fast to the 
skin. The joint should be splintered and bandaged 
to keep it from moving. If the joint swells bathe 
it with cold water several times a dsij. If the knee 
has been injured and the skin not broken bathe it 
with cold water and apply lead lotion after each 
bathing. After the inflammation has been sub- 
dued and a thickening left, blister it several times 
with biniodide of mercury one dram, lard one 
ounce. Let it remain on for twenty-four hours, 
then wash off and apph^ a little lard. Apply again 
as soon as it is well from the effects of the first 
blister. Horses often get soft swellings on the 
front of the knee and fetlock joints bj^ striking 
these parts against the manner. Some horses have 
a habit of pawing while they are eating their oats. 
I have seen some very bad blemishes from this 
cause. To prevent this pad the manger by nailing 
on it a bag stuffed with straw. The animal will 
strike this instead of the manger. These swellings 
contain a jelly-like substance, which accumulates 
under the cartilage of the knee from the constant 



210 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

striking against the manger or other hard sub- 
stance. It is xevj difficult to remove this lump. It 
makes matters worse to cut into it It is best to 
try biniodide of mercury, one dram to one ounce 
of lard ; use as above and continue it for several 
months. I have seen a great many cases of this 
kind in the eastern part of the country, where the 
farmers use pokes on their horses and colts to keep 
them from jumping over the fences, the constant 
striking* of the fetlock joint against the poke caus- 
ing the lump above mentioned. 

Elbow Lameness. — The tendons of muscles and 
the ligaments attached to this joint are liable to be 
sprained by the animal slipping forward, outward, 
and also inward. When the ligaments and muscles 
are strained the seat of lameness is easily detected. 
There will be swelling, pain and heat, and difficul- 
ty in moving the leg. When the internal ligament 
is the part affected the horse will stand with its 
foot and leg thrown outward. When the animal 
is made to move it will drop considerably and seem 
as if it would fall. The dropping is characteristic 
of elbow joint lameness, even when there is no heat 
or swelling to indicate that the injury is in the 
elbow. 

Treatment: When there is heat and swelling, 
foment with hot water, and apply lead lotion after 
each bathing. If there is no heat or swelling use 
soap liniment or camphorated liniment to it three 
times a day and give complete rest until the lame- 
ness passes away. 

Shoulder Lameness. — There are several kinds of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 211 

lameness in the shoulder. First, injuries to the 
point of the shoulder caused by kicks or falls and 
bruises; second, strains of the flexor brachii, 
which passes over the point of the shoulder; third, 
strains of the muscles upon the shoulder blade 
known as sweeny. There are also diseases of the 
shoulder joint produced by rheumatism, causing 
the ligaments to become thickened, and in this way 
a stiffness of the joint takes place, and in some 
cases the cartilages of the joint may become ulcer- 
ated and destroy it. 

The symptoms of shoulder joint lameness: The 
animal stands with the knee and elbow bent for- 
ward, and resting the leg on the toe, the foot being 
turned backward, and if the animal is made to 
move it will drag the toe on the ground, bei»g 
unable to bring the leg forward. In severe lame- 
ness the horse will not throw its leg outward and 
forw^ard as described by some, as this would cause 
him too much pain. In cases where it is not severe 
the animal will stand with its foot solid on the 
ground inclining backward, and when moved will 
step short on that foot and show a little lameness, 
and if made to trot will be very lame, and the leg 
is not brought as far forward as the other, in some 
cases not more than half way. In watching the 
movements, if the horse brings its leg well forward 
the lameness is not in the shoulder. By lifting 
up the foot and gently bringing the leg forward 
the animal will evince pain, asi this will put the 
muscles and joint on the stretch. In cases where 
there is swelling and heat there is no difficulty in 



212 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

detectings the seat of lameness, but when the joint 
is affected there may be great lameness and no out- 
ward signs. Usually in sweeny the muscles first 
swell a little and then waste, the movement of the 
limb is about the same as in shoulder joint lame- 
ness. In severe cases benefit is obtained by put- 
ting on a high-heeled shoe so that the horse can 
rest on it and at the same time have its leg flexed. 

Treatment: When there is pain and swelling, 
with heat of the part, foment with hot water for 
half an hour three times a day and apply a little 
of the following lotion after each bathing : Acetate 
of lead half an ounce, tincture of opium two 
ounces, water one quart; shake up well before 
applying. If there is no swelling or heat use a 
strong liniment such as the compound soap lini- 
ment. If this takes no effect apply cantharides 
one part, vaseline or lard six parts ; rub in a little 
once a week and give the animal complete rest. 

The treatment of sweeny: If there is swelling 
use the lead lotion to reduce it; then use the can- 
tharides ointment above mentioned once every two 
weeks until it is filled up, which usually takes from 
two to three months. In connection with shoulder 
disease we have collar bruises, some of which swell 
up and fill with fluid, and are soft to the touch; 
others near the point of the shoulder are hard and 
solid. In both cases if they are hot apply the lead 
lotion for a few days to remove the inflammation. 
Then open the soft on© with the knife, making the 
opening large enough to admit the finger, so that 
the bruised and disconnected shreds of the connect- 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 213 

ing tissue can run out; then inject once daily a lit- 
tle lotion made by mixing one dram of chloride of 
zinc and one pint of water. If there is any thicken- 
ing left after it heals rub on biniodide of mercury 
one dram, lard one ounce. Repeat in two weeks. 
If the lump feels hard and solid make an opening 
in its center two-thirds the depth of the lump. 
Then roll up two grains of bichloride of mercury 
in tissue paper, cone shaped, and press it into the 
opening with a i)robe or a small, smooth stick 
made in the shape of a probe; repeat this every 
third day. This is by far the best method for the 
removal of hard lumps on any part of the body; 
besides causing a slough it stimulates the whole of 
the tumor, and absorption takes place in it. It 
may take several weeks to accomplish this, but it 
leaves no blemish, which is often the case when the 
lump is cut out. To prevent shoulders from gall- 
ing see that the. lining of the collar is smooth and 
that it fits well; the shoulders should be exam- 
ined every night, and if there are any signs of ten- 
derness wash them with water to remove scurfy 
or matted hair, then rub on a little lead lotion 
made by mixing half an ounce acetate of lead in 
one quart of water. This will remove any tendency 
to tenderness and contract the relaxed skin. 

Sores on Top of Neck. — This is caused hj pres- 
sure of the collar. Take notice that the draft is 
not too high up, as this will pull the collar down- 
ward and bring pressure on top of the neck. This 
can be remedied by slackening the hame strap at 
the top and tightening the one at the bottom. In 



214 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

plowing there will be more tendenc}^ to pull down- 
ward than in the wagon. If it becomes sore re- 
move the pressure and apply a little of the lead 
lotion above mentioned several times a day. If it 
becomes sore and calloused, apply a little binio- 
dide of mercury, one dram, to one ounce and one- 
half of lard, once a week. This will cause absorp- 
tion of the callous, then heal it by using oxide of 
zinc one ounce, vaseline two ounces. It will be 
necessary to give the animal rest w^hile using the 
biniodide ointment. In some cases the animal 
could be worked by using the breast collar. Saddle 
aalls or sores from the back-band of the harness 
should be treated the same as galled shoulders. 

Sprain of the Flexor Tendon (Back Tendon). — 
Causes: Horses having to draw heavy loads, 
there is a very great strain on this tendon, as most 
horses dig their toes into the ground, and horses 
in cities catch the cobble stones Avith their toe 
calkin. This causes great extension of the toe, 
hence great stress on the back tendon. Injuries 
such as kicks or knocks from the other foot will 
cause an inflammation of the sheath of the tendon, 
causing lameness. 

Symptoms : There will be swelling and heat in 
the parts, there may be bulging of the sheath and 
the tendon quite normal; when the part is pressed 
the animal evinces pain, stands with the leg up- 
right, moves stijQf and digs its toe into the ground ; 
when the hind leg is the one affected he seems to 
throw the leg behind him, and the fetlock joint 
is not flexed, as when the animal is sound. Some- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 215 

times the strain may be so slight as not to cause 
much if any swelling of the part, and the animal 
will be lame. Examine the well fetlock, then the 
affected one. This will enable us to detect the 
slightest swelling, and it may also enable us to 
detect heat, if any. Slight movement of the foot 
forward will cause pain to the horse. 

Treatment: In seyere cases put on a high- 
heeled shoe. This will eleyate the heel and slacken 
the tendon; bathe the part with hot or cold water 
for half an hour, and apply a lotion composed of 
acetate of lead half an ounce, tincture of opium 
two ounces, water one quart. Do this three times 
a day. Giye complete rest until the animal is bet- 
ter. In chronic cases use cantharides two drams, 
yaseline one ounce; rub in a little of this; let it 
remain on for twenty-four hours, then wash it: off 
and apply a little lard. Repeat this every second 
week until the animal is cured. It can be turned 
out to grass after the blister is washed off, until 
two weeks are up, then bring it in and apply the 
other, and when it is washed off turn out again, 
and so on. 

Sprains of the Suspensory Ligament. — This lig- 
ament is situated below the back tendon, and aris- 
ing from the upper part of the canon bone, it 
passes down close to the bone. At the fetlock it 
divides into two branches, each branch becomes 
attached to the sesamoid bones (two small bones 
at the back of the fetlock joint). This ligament is 
sometimes sprained, causing severe lameness. It 
is also sometimes ruptured (called by horsemen 



216 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

"breaking doY>^n.' ) The symptoms are very much 
like those of the back tendon, and the treatment 
is the same. When it is a case of breaking down 
the toe tinns up, the heel resting on the ground. 
In this case the back tendon is all right. Few cases 
of this kind get better. 

Strain of the Fetlock Joint. — The lateral liga- 
ments are usually the ones affected, but sometimes 
the capsular ligament may be involved. The symj)- 
toms of this are swelling and some heat in the part; 
the animal evinces very great pain when the joint 
is moved, and usually extends the foot. The 
treatment is the same as the above, only it is not 
necessary to put on a high-heeled shoe. 

Wind Galls. — This is an increased quantity of 
synovia in the cavity, causing a bulging at each 
side of the tendon at the upper part of the fetlock 
joint. They seldom cause lameness, but at times 
they become hard from a thickening of the walls of 
the capsvile, interfering with the passage of the 
tendon, causing lameness. 

Treatment : In the early stages pads and band- 
ages to cause pressure w^ill often remove them. If 
not, use biniodide of mercury one dram, lard one 
ounce; rub on a little with the fingers; let it remain 
on for twenty-four hours, then wash off. Ilex)eat 
every second week. 

Eingbone. — This term is applied to a growth of 
bone on the upper and lower x)astern bones. When 
the deposit of growth of bone is on the sides only, 
they are usually called side bones, but they are of 
the same nature, and both cause lameness when 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 217 

they interfere with the joint or the passage of any 
of the tendons. 

Causes: Some horses are predisposed to bony 
diseases from the least injury, while others are not, 
and in selecting mares for breeding purposes the 
former should be rejected; strains, bruises, or in- 
juries to the cartilage of the joints. 

Symptoms : When the membrane of the bone or 
cartilage becomes inflamed there may be great 
lameness for several months before any enlarge- 
ment takes place, and it is somewhat difficult to 
detect. The absence of other diseases of the foot, 
with some heat in the pasterns, and soreness on 
pressure or moving the joints. In other cases the 
enlargement may make its appearance for some 
time before the horse becomes lame, and in some 
cases it may never cause any lameness, but should 
always be looked upon with suspicion, as in the 
majority of cases they sooner or later cause lame- 
ness. Ringbone is more difficult to cure on the 
fore foot than on the hind one, as the pasterns are 
more upright on the former than on the latter, and 
besides, the horse's fore legs have to bear two- 
thirds the weight of the body. 
. Treatment: The horse should have rest, and 
the shoes be removed and the foot pared level. If 
there is heat in the part keep it wet with acetate 
of lead half an ounce, to the quart of water, by 
means of a bandage saturated with it. Continue 
this for a few days, then apply a blister composed 
of cantharides two drams, biniodide of mercury 



218 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

one dram, lard two ounces. Rub on a third of 
this with the fingers. It is not necessary to cut 
off the hair if the blister is well rubbed in. Let it 
remain on for twenty-four hours, then wash off and 
rub on a little lard. Eepeat every second week 
until three blisters have been applied. Keep the 
horse's head tied up while the blister is on. The 
horse should have a few months' rest after the 
blisters. If this does not cure it, then fire. This is 
done by cutting off the hair and using the firing 
irons made for the purpose. Have them red hot, 
and burn five or six tracks up and down the en- 
largement deep enough to almost burn through 
the skin. The iron should be drawn wp and down 
lightly several times, making all the tracks, then 
going over them carefully until you get them to 
the desired depth, taking care not to burn the 
coronary band, then rub on a little lard or vase- 
line. Nothing more is needed for two weeks. At 
the end of that time if the marks are drying up 
and there has been no discharge it will be neces- 
sary to rub on a little ointment made by mixing- 
two drams of cantharides with one and a half 
ounces of lard and rub on a little of that once a 
day until there is a discharge from the burned 
tracks. Keep this up for five or six weeks, then 
let it heal up, and give the animal several months' 
rest. 

Hip Joint Lameness. — Hip joint lameness is 
very rare in the horse, as this joint and the muscles 
of the hip are not brought into so severe a strain 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 219 

as the other joints of the limb. The causes are 
principally falls or injuries, such as kicks, and 
sometimes rheumatism. 

Symptoms : There will be some swelling, which 
can be easily detected by standing behind the ani- 
mal and viewing both hip joints, and if the animal 
is standing solid on both hind feet there will be 
no difficulty in seeing the slightest swelling, if 
there be any. In severe cases the horse will hop 
and catch in the lame leg. When the animal is 
moved and while at rest it will usually hold up the 
leg off the ground, the muscles below the hip sup- 
porting the limb. Heat may be felt over the seat 
of lameness and pain caused by pressure. At first 
the muscles seem to be elevated, but if it lasts long 
the muscles soon waste. 

Treatment : Give the animal complete rest, and 
if it rests on the toe benefit will be obtained by put- 
ting on a high-heeled shoe ; but if the animal holds 
its foot off the ground, it would do more harm 
than good from the extra weight of the shoe. In 
the early stages of the disease bathe with cold 
water and apply some of the lead lotion before 
mentioned. In the second stage hot water is the 
best, and apply a little of the following after each 
bathing: Tincture of opium two ounces, tincture 
of arnica two ounces, fluid extract of belladonna 
one ounce, water four ounces. After all swelling 
and heat are removed and the animal still lame, 
blister the part with cantharides two drams, lard 
one ounce. Let it remain on for twenty -four hours, 
then wash off and apply a little lard. Repeat in 



220 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

two or three weeks, if necessary. This blistering 
with cantharides will draw out the deep-seated in- 
ilammatiou and act as an alterative, bringing a 
healthy action to the part. No other blister has 
this action. This I have discovered from practical 
experience. The horse should not be put to work 
for some time after the lameness disappears. 

Strains and Wasting of Muscles of Ilip. — The 
large muscles of the hip are liable to strains, and 
there is a great tendency for these muscles to 
waste as a result of the strain. This is called by 
horsemen "half hipped." 

Symptoms: When these muscles are strained 
or injured thcsrnimal has difficulty in bringing its 
leg forward, and has the appearance of being stiff 
in its back. When the animal is at rest it will 
usually stand solid on the leg of the injured side, 
as well as on the other. The treatment will be the 
same as for hip joint lameness. 

Strains and Wasting of the Crural Muscles (the 
Muscles in Front of the Thigh Bone). — These mus« 
cles are connected with the patella, the "knee 
cap." When sprains or injuries to these muscles 
take place the animal has no power to bring the 
leg forward, and if made to Avalk the stifle joint 
drops down, giving the animal the appearance 
as if it would fall on that side, and knuckles over 
at the fetlock joint. After a time the muscles 
waste and there is a sinking in of the part, and the 
muscle loses its action, and is partially paralyzed. 
The treatment will be as above, but benefit may 
be obtained by giving nerve tonics; nux vomica 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE 221 

two ounces, sulphate of iron four ounces; mix and 
divide into twenty-four doses, and give one morn- 
ing and night in bran mash. I have had a number 
of cases of this form of lameness and all have got- 
ten well by the use of the cantharides blister and 
the nerve tonics. 

Stifle Joint Lameness. — Stifle joint lameness is 
characterized by the inability of the animal to 
bring its leg forward, that is when the injury is 
severe and in the neighborhood of the patella, 
"knee cap." This can be easily understood. To 
bring the leg forward or backward the stifle bone 
moves on a pulley-like surface at the lower end 
and in front of the thigh bone, and an injury to this 
part or dislocation makes it impossible for the 
animal to use this joint. It may be standing on its 
foot, but more often with the leg a little backward, 
and if made to move forward will do so on the 
three legs, while the injured one will be held out 
straight behind. Some horses will, by the aid of 
the muscles of the hip and thigh, bring the leg 
forward in a circular motion, keeping the stifle 
joint straight. If the animal can stand with its 
foot forward there will be no use looking for the 
lameness in this joint. I mention this because I 
have found so many horsemen locating the lame- 
ness of the hock, foot, and other parts of the limb, 
in this joint. The stifle joint is liable to injury 
from a horse kicking its neighbor in the stall, 
especially in cases when the partition between 
them is too short. I have seen many valuable 
horses destroyed in this way. Some horses when 



222 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

not feeding stand back in their stall, thus giving 
their neighbors the opportunity^ of kicking them 
if so inclined, and the stifle or its vicinity is usu- 
ally the place injured. Severe injuries to the stifle 
joint are often dangerous to the life of the animal. 
I have seen several cases of death from a severe 
form of inflammation in the joint, terminating in 
mortification. All injuries to this joint should be 
treated with great promptness in case of the above 
result. Give the animal complete rest, and keep 
the part constantly wet with acetate of lead half 
an ounce, water one quart. If there is great pain 
add from one to two ounces tincture of opium to 
the lotion. After all inflammation is subdued and 
the animal is still lame apply a blister of canthar- 
ides two drams, lard one ounce; rub this on the 
outside of the joint only, as the skin on the inside 
is very thin and tender. If it is necessary to use 
it on the inside it should be reduced in strength 
by one-third. If matter should form it is best to 
let it break of its own accord, then foment it with 
warm water, and inject w^arm water to clean it 
out, after which inject a teaspoonful or two of a 
solution of chloride of zinc one dram, water one 
pint. Do this twice daily. If there should be a 
soft sw^elling left after it is healed, use biniodide 
of mercury one dram, lard one and one-half ounces; 
rub on a little of this every second w^eek for a 
month or two. 

Cramps of the Muscles of the Thigh. — This af- 
fection I have often seen in the trotting horse. A 
well-marked case of this kind came under my 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 223 

notice a few years ago. A five-year-old stallion 
was tracked for a month with the intention of 
putting him into the fall races. After being driven 
one or two heats, all at once he would go lame in 
one hind leg, so lame at times he could not be 
moved off the track. After resting for ten or fifteen 
minutes he could walk fairly well, and in half an 
hour's time would be as well as ever, and might 
trot several times around the track all right ; but if 
put to his speed after trotting for a while the same 
thing would take place. I was requested to ex- 
amine the horse. I found him at rest and could 
not discover anything wrong, so I had him speeded. 
He went twice around all right, but after passing 
the first quarter pole he went on three legs. I was 
at his side as quickly as possible, and found the 
large muscles of the back of the thigh badly 
cramped and as hard as iron. In a few minutes 
they began to relax and the animal was able to 
walk to his stable. I considered this was caused 
by the nerve supplying these muscles being de- 
ranged in some way by the driving, as it required 
violent exercise to develop it. I ordered the animal 
to be rested for a couple of months and to have one 
dram of powdered nux vomica and one dram sul- 
phate of iron once daily in a small bran mash. 
The animal was then put on the track again and 
did good work for three weeks, when the old 
trouble showed itself again. The animal was then 
taken off the track for the winter, during which he 
did some moderate driving. In the following sea- 
son he was put on the track, and as long as I knew 



224 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

him he did good fast work, without showing any 
symptoms of his old affection. I have had several 
cases of the same kind, and the only remedy is to 
give a long rest, with iron and nux vomica. Give 
for two weeks, then skip two, and give again, and 
so on. 

Cramps of the Stifle Muscles. — Young horses 
and colts are subject to cramps of the stifle. The 
symptoms are: The animal stands with the leg 
fixed to the ground or extended out behind him; 
while the cramp lasts the animal cannot move its 
leg. It comes on and goes off suddenly, or in some 
cases it lasts for several days. Prof. Williams, 
of Edinburgh, says that it is caused by indiges- 
tion and that a good physic will remove it. If 
the animal is subject to it it will be well to give 
it a dose of physic, aloes one ounce, ginger one 
ounce, carbonate of soda one ounce; dissolve in half 
a pint of boiling water, add half a pint of cold water 
and give at one dose; half this quantity for a colt 
from one to two years old. This trouble seldom 
requires any treatment. In those cases which last 
more than an hour or two give bromide of potass, 
in one-ounce doses three times a day in a small 
bran mash, and rub the muscles around the stifle 
twice a day with camphorated liniment. 

Diseases of the Hock (Bog-Spavin). — This joint 
corresponds to the ankle joint in man and is the 
one in the horse most liable to injury. This joint 
has what is termed true and false joints. The true 
joint is where it articulates with the lower end 
of the trbia and upper surface of the astragalus. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 225 

The false joint is that between the lower end of 
the astragalus and cuneiform bones. The last- 
named is only a gliding and has no hinge motion 
like the upper one and is the seat of bone spavin. 
There is a baggy ligament called the capsular sit- 
uated in front and inside of the hock joint. The 
use of this ligament is to protect a very delicate 
membrane which secretes the synovial fluid (joint 
oil), to lubricate the joint. When this ligament 
and its membrane become irritated from strains, 
bruises or other injuries, it is apt to secrete too 
much joint oil, and the result is that there is a 
bulging of the ligament. This is what constitutes 
what is called bog-spavin. This is a very common 
trouble among heavy draft colts, and sometimes 
adult draft horses, as they usually have big, loose 
joints and a number of them have crooked hind 
legs, although it may occur on any kind of hock. 

Symptoms of bog-spavin are morel or less bulg- 
ing in front and a little to the inside of the hock 
joint. It seldom causes lameness and may appear 
suddenly or by degrees. If there is lameness the 
other structures will be affected. There will be 
heat and pain and a stiffness of the joint. 

Treatment: When heat and soreness present 
themselves bathe several times a day with cold 
water and apply a little lead lotion after each 
bathing, half an ounce of lead acetate to the quart 
of water. After the heat has subsided or in cases 
where there has been no heat or soreness use bin- 
iodide of mercury one dram, lard one ounce. Rub 



226 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

on a little with the fingers, let it remain on for 
twentj-four hours, then wash off and apply a little 
lard. Eepeat every second week and continue it 
for several months if necessary. It usually re- 
quires a number of applications to remove it. 
Keep the animal in the stable and tie up his head 
so that he cannot get his mouth to it until the 
blister is washed off. The horse can then be turned 
out to grass until it is time to put on another blis- 
ter. 

Thorough-Pin. — Thorough-pin is an enlarge- 
ment situated on the sides and upper part of the 
hock joint, arising from disease of the sheath of 
the back tendon. The fluid with which it is filled 
can be ^Dressed from one side to the other; hence 
the term thorough-pin. It is of the same nature 
as bog-spavin, and is caused by strains or other 
injuries. Short, upright hock joints are more lia- 
ble to thorough-pin than well-formed ones. They 
seldom cause lameness and are only blemishes. 
They can sometimes be removed by the same 
treatment as that described for bog-spavin. 
Puncturing has been recommended, but cases 
which I have seen usually fill up again. Williams 
says if a puncture is to be made at all, it should 
be at the bottom of the swelling, sufficiently large 
to allow the complete removal of the fluid, and it 
should remain open for some days. No fear need 
be entertained, although signs of pain and fever 
may ensue, as an open bursa is not so serious as 
an open joint. I think, as it does not cause lame- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 227 

ness, and in the majority of cases it can be re- 
moved by the blisters, that it is safer not to 
operate. 

Bone-Spavin. — Bone-spavin may be defined as 
an exostosis (growth of bone) on the inner and 




PLATE 5. NATURAL HOCK-JOINT. 

lower part of the hock, arising from inflammation 
of the small bones of the hock terminating gen- 
erally in anchylosis of one or more of the gliding 
joints of the hock, according to Prof. Williams. 
The reason why spavin appears on the inside of the 
hock and seldom on the ontside can be explained. 



:28 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



The inside of the leg is more under the center line 
of gravity, and therefore greater weight is thrown 
upon the inside of the joint and is more likely to 
be sprained on that account. Spavin seems to be 
a disease peculiar to the horse, as it is seldom that 




PLATE 6. 



SHOWING SITUATION OP BONE- 
SPAVIN. 



we find it on working oxen, no matter how roughly 
they are used. Spavins are caused by local in- 
juries, such as sprains, bruises, and kicks. Some 
breeds of horses have a hereditary tendency, 
whether they have a well-formed joint or not. The 
slightest injury to some horses will produce a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 229 

bony deposit on some of the bones of the leg; such 
as splints, ringbone; and spavin. Animals having 
this tendency should not be used for breeding pur- 
poses. A crooked, badly-formed hock joint is more 
liable to spavin than a well-formed one, providing 
that the well-formed one has no hereditary tend- 
ency. There are two forms of spavin, one of which 
forms on the outside of the bones. The other first 
affects the cartilage of the joint, and will cause 
lameness for a long time before it shows any ex- 
ternal enlargement. The enlargement on the out- 
side may show itself for some time before it causes 
lameness. 

Symptoms of spavin: Often the first thing no- 
ticed w^rong is that when the animal is made to 
stand over in its stall, it will give a hitch on the 
sound leg. When it is taken out it may not show 
any lameness, or if it does it may only be for the 
first few steps, but by and by it takes longer time 
to pass off. Every time the horse is stopped for a 
few minutes it will start off v/ith a hitch, until 
finally the animal becomes very lame, and may be 
lame all through the journey. Another early 
symptom is that every time he is stopped he will 
rest the toe of the affected limb- The method of 
examining a horse for spavin is to let it cool off in 
the stable, then back it up, and if there is anything 
wrong with the hock joint it will require some 
urging to get it to back, and when it does so it will 
bring the toe of the sore limb to the ground before 
the heel, and hitch on the well leg. Take the 
horse out and make it stand solid on its hind feet, 



230 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

then look through between its fore legs and see 
if the joints of the hock are the same. If yon can- 
not discover anything, then stand at the horse's 
shoulder and look to the opposite hind leg, then do 
the same on the other side, and see if both joints 
are the same from that direction; then rub the 
hand down over the well one first, then over the 
suspected one to feel if there is any difference. If 
none is found, then you may conclude that the 
horse has what is termed an occult spavin ; that is, 
the kind of spavin in which the cartilages between 
the bones are affected. To detect this form of 
spavin it w^ill be necessary to take the horse out on 
the road. One man takes him by the halter, and 
has him ready to start on the trot when wanted. 
The examiner lifts up the lame leg. If it is the 
right hind leg he will put his right arm on the in- 
side of the leg, the point of the hock resting un(Jer 
the arm-pit. Then clasp both hands around the 
flexed fetlock, then press on the point of the hock 
with the arm-pit; at the same time the arms will 
brace the fetlock joint. Then by moving the leg 
backw^ard and forward you will bring considerable 
force on the hock joint, then drop the leg and start 
the horse off on a trot, and if the hock is the part 
affected it will start off very lame, or in some cases 
on three legs. If this is properly done it will indi- 
cate to you without doubt that the lameness is in 
the hock joint. 

Treatment: A number of cases of bone-spavin 
can be cured. Those that are low down on the 
joint are usually curable. Those high up, involv- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 231 

ing the true hinge joint of the hock, are incurable. 
In the early stages, where there is acute inflamma- 
tion, give complete rest and apply cold water con- 
stantly for several days, then apply cantharides 
two drams, biniodide of mercury one dram, lard 
two ounces. Mix and rub in well a little with the 
fingers. Let it remain on twenty-four hours, then 
wash off and rub on a little lard. Repeat every 
second week until three or four blisters have been 
ai)plied. Give at least threemonths'rest. If this 
has not cured it, it will be necessary to fire it. This 
is done by cutting off the hair and heating the iron 
to a red heat and burning a straight mark from the 
top of the hock to the bottom; then make three or 
four marks from the center one like a crow's foot. 
These marks or lines should be burned deep 
enough to almost cut through the skin, but not 
altogether. In firing the iron should not be pressed 
but rubbed upward and downward ; the weight of 
the iron is enough. When the operation is com- 
pleted rub on a little lard; that is usually all that 
is needed. I have operated on a great number of 
horses for ringbone and spavin and find that what 
is called the smooth iron is the best. About nine 
out of every ten cases get well if properly fired 
with the smooth iron. In two weeks after the op- 
eration has been performed if it should be drying 
up and showing no signs of matter forming rub on 
a little cantharides blister; but if it is sore and a 
little matter has formed, let it alone. I like to keep 
it sore for five or six weeks, then let it heal up of its 
own accord. Allow the animal several months' 



232 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

rest, either in the pasture or loose box. In some 
few cases which did not get over their lameness I 
have fired a second time. This should not be done 
inside of one year. 

Curb. — This is an injury or sprain to the cal- 
caneo-ciiboid ligament. This is an elastic liga- 
ment w^hich extends from the back part of the 
point of the hock to the head of the canon bone. 
This elastic ligament is placed there to strengthen 
the hock joint, and is very liable to strains," espe- 
cially holding back heavy loads going down hill, 
or backing up heavy loads, or the hind legs slip- 
ping too far under the animal. It is caused by 
kicks or by the whiffletrees striking against it. 
Some horses have what is called curby hocks. 
That is, the back part of the hocks round out. This 
must be distinguished from curb. When the en- 
largement is on the belly of the tendon it is much 
easier removed than when it is on the part where 
the tendon is attached to the bone. The reason of 
this is that when it is injured in this part the bone 
is likely to be injured also, and instead of having a 
soft bunch there will be a hard, bony one. In 
treating curb this has to be taken into considera- 
tion. Curb often causes lameness when it first 
comes on, and there may be considerable inflam- 
mation in the surrounding parts, causing swelling. 
There are other cases which do not cause lame- 
ness. 

Treatment : In the cases where there is inflam- 
mation, keep the animal in the stable, and put on 
a high-heeled shoe. This will raise the heel and 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 233 

slacken the ligament. Then put on several thick- 
nesses of cloth around the joint and keep it con- 
stantly wet with acetate of lead half an ounce, 
tincture of arnica two ounces, water one quart. In 
a few days this treatment will remove the inflam- 
mation and the lameness. If there is any enlarge- 
ment left, blister it with biniodide of mercury one 
dram, lard one ounce. Repeat in two or three 
weeks if necessary. If there is no inflammation 
blister at once. If it is down w^here the tendon is 
attached to the bone and is hard use cantharides 
two drams, biniodide of mercury one dram, lard 
two ounces. Apply a little of this every third week 
and continue it for several months if needed. I 
have had a number of cases in which the first blis- 
ters seemed to have no effect in reducing the lump, 
but by continuing it for several months absorption 
took place and the enlargement disappeared. In 
cases where animals have a natural curby hock 
and it does not cause lameness it is best to let it 
alone, as it is not at all likely that it can be re- 
moved; it is only a loss of tirne and torture to the 
horse. The disease of the back tendons and fet- 
lock joints are the same as on the fore legs. 

Injuries to the Hock Joint. — The hock joint is 
very liable to injuries from being kicked by other 
horses, and is also liable to sprains, which often 
set up violent inflammation, with great swelling 
and lameness, and if not treated in time will form 
matter, and in some cases destroy the joint or 
cause the death of the animal. No matter what 
has caused the injury, we should aim at keeping 



234 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

down the inflammation. This is best done by put- 
ting the animal in a loose box, or in very bad cases 
IDutting the horse in slings. Then taJ^e the leg of 
a pair of pants and draw it over the foot and up 
over the hock joint. Take a piece of wide elastic 
and cut it the proper length to go around the leg, 
then sew it and put it over the upj)er part of the 
pants leg. This will give when the animal bends 
its leg, and will not slip down. Then fill in be- 
tween the pants and the leg with soft cotton, and 
tie below the hock. Keep this constantly wet with 
lead lotion, half an ounce of the acetate and half 
an ounce of sulphate of zinc to the quart of water. 
At the end of the third day if there is no improve- 
ment, then use hot fomentations and poultices of 
linseed meal. If matter should form let it break 
of its own accord, and w^hen it does clean out the 
openings with warm water and inject a little of 
the following: Chloride of zinc one dram, water 
one pint. If there is much lameness at this stage 
apply a cantharides blister, one part of canthar- 
ides to four of lard. This can be applied every sec- 
ond week. It will remove the soreness and stim- 
ulate the part into a healthy condition. The ani- 
mal should get half an ounce nitrate of potassium 
in a bran mash if there is much fever. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 235 



CHAPTER XX. 

DISEASES OP THE FEET. 

A better idea of the diseases of the foot cau be 
had b}^ some knowledge of the substances which 
enter into its construction. The soft parts of the 
foot are protected by a horny box called the hoof. 
The hoof is divided into three parts, viz., the wall, 
sole, and frog. Each of these has a separate func- 
tion to perform, but all unite in protecting the sen- 
sitive parts of the foot. The wall is composed of a 
multitude of fibers which run from the top of the 
hoof to the sole, with which it unites. The external 
layer is hard and covered by a cement substance, 
which prevents the escape of moisture; also pre- 
vents moisture from penetrating into it. The next 
layer is a little softer, while the internal surface is 
composed of a great number of plates called the 
horny laminae, v>^hich correspond to the sensitive 
laminae. The wall receives the substance, which 
develops it from the coronary band or ligament, 
which is situated at the top of the wall in the same 
manner as our nails. Anything which interferes 
with the health of this band prevents the healthy 
growth of the wall, hence a dry, brittle hoof. The 
horny sole resembles the wall, only instead of 
fibers it is composed of plates in layers. These 
plates are developed from the sensitive sole. They 



23.6 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

are soft at first, and gradually harden as they ap- 
proach the surface. In some cases the surface 
layer may have a mealy appearance, the outer 
layer is constantly wearing off, and new ones 
forming. In a well-formed foot the sole is strong 
and arched to give strength to the wall, and also 
to protect the sensitive sole from injuries. In 
cases where nature has only formed a thin, weak 
sole, or where it has been reduced in thickness by 
the blacksmith's knife, it is then not in a condition 
to sustain the pressure it was intended for, and as 
a result the whole foot suffers, and the horse be- 
comes lame. The bars at the back part of the sole 
unite with the wall at right angles, forming a 
strong support to the wall, and also to the sole, 
preventing contraction of the heels. The frog is 
the prominent, somewhat pyramidical, spongy 
mass of horn lodged between the bars, and filling 
up the triangular space. The frog varies in shape 
and size, but is always well developed in a well- 
formed foot. There are three cavities, called the 
clefts of the frog. These clefts allow the elastic 
or spongy elevations of the frog to expand on pres- 
sure. It is secreted or grows from the sensitive 
frog. The use of the frog is to lessen concussion 
and bear a little of the weight of the body, and if 
this frog is not large or is cut down so that it does 
not come in contact with the ground, derange- 
ments of the other structures soon ensue. 

Soft Structures of the Foot. — These are the lat- 
eral cartilages, sensitive laminae, sensitive sole, 
sensitive frog, and the coronary band or ligament. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 237 

Beneath these substances are the hard structures, 
viz., the coffin bone, navicular, and the oscorone 
(lower pastern). These bones are held together 
by ligaments, and are clothed by the sensitive sub- 
stance mentioned. The lateral cartilages are two 
thin plates of clear cartilage in the middle, and a 
mixture of fibers and cartilage toward the bor- 
ders. They are attached to the wing of the coffin 
bone, pass down over the sensitive frog, and pro- 
ject upward to the coronary band. They act as 
braces to the heels. 

The Sensitive Laminae. — This is continuous 
with the coronary band, and is attached to the cof- 
fin bone by a dense fibrous membrane. It is com- 
posed of a number of very highly organized plates, 
composed largely of blood vessels, nerves, and lym- 
phatics, held together by a very fine network of 
fibrous tissue, and is attached to the horny lam- 
inae interposed between the plates. This is the 
most sensitive structure of the body, and is the 
part affected in founder. 

The Sensitive Sole. — This is continuous with the 
sensitive laminae and frog, and is firmly attached 
to the inferior surface of the coffin bone. Like the 
sensitive laminae it is made up of a highly vascu- 
lar, fibrous membrane, and is covered by the villi, 
which secretes the horny sole. 

The Sensitive Frog, — This is situated beneath 
the horny frog, and is made up of an intermixture 
of yellow fibro-cellular tissue of a peculiar elastic 
nature, and has been described as fat. It is not 
nearly so sensitive as the structures just men- 



238 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

tioned. It is covered by a layer of villi which se- 
cretes the horny frog. 

The Coronary Substance, or Band. — This is the 
vascular structure situated on the upper border of 
the wall. It consists of a dense fibrous band, 
which is connected with the coffin bone and the 
extensor tendon by dense fibrous tissue, on which 
r'^poses a plexus of blood vessels,covered by a mod- 




PLATE 7. SHOWING THE FOOT PREPARED 
FOR THE SHOE. 

ified form of the skin, containing a number of little 
projections, which enter into funnel-shaped open- 
ings in the crust. The horn is secreted from this 
part. 

Shoeing the Horse. — As horses' feet were made 
before roads, it was necessary to contrive some- 
thing which could be put on the feet to protect 
them from breaking up or wearing down too fast. 
Ther^ has been a great deal written on this sub- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 239 

ject, and a great deal of it has been -based on false 
ideas; such as considering the hoof to be an elas- 
tic box, and that paring and thinning down the 
sole, cutting down the frog, and cutting the bars, 
etc., would allow it to expand. This method the 
majority of blacksmiths follow, resulting sooner 
or later in the destruction of the foot. Some main- 




PLATE 8. BEST FORM OF SHOE FOR A DRIV- 
ING HORSE. 

tain that high calkins at the heels are useful to 
relieve the back tendon, others that the feet 
should be kept soft by stuffing with clay, linseed 
meal and other stuffs, all of which are unnecessary, 
if not hurtful to the healthy foot. Without com- 
menting on what others have done, I will give you 
my experience founded on facts and practiced to 
the advantage of the horse and to the satisfaction 
and profit of the owner. As we have already seen 



240 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

by the construction of the horse's hoof and its use, 
it is only necessary to follow nature. In order that 
a healthy foot should be shod and kept healthy it 
is first essential to abolish the drawing knife and 
do away with the calkins and toe pieces. This 
can be done in the case of the driving horses, which 
have light work, and horses on the farm. 
Heavy draft horses in the city must have calkins 
on their shoes to prevent them from slipping on the 
stone pavement, although it is injurious to the 
feet, but it is unnecessary to use the knife on them, 
and this, the worst of evils, can be averted. The 
proper system of shoeing is to take a rasp and level 
the wall, so that a margin of the sole will bear on 
the shoe. Have the bearing surface for the shoe 
about three-quarters of an inch at the toe and not 
more than half an inch at the heel. On this level 
surface put on a level shoe, at least three-quarters 
of an inch in width at the toe and half 
an inch at the heels. The shoe should be 
no thicker at the heel than at the toe, 
the nails should not be driven too high, and for the 
horse of light work four nails on the outside and 
three on the inside are sufficient. The rasping on 
the outer surface should not extend above the 
nails, as it would destroy the enamel, which was 
mentioned was there for the purpose of preventing 
evaporation from the foot and moisture from get- 
ting into it. A horse shod in this way has all parts 
of its feet left which are needed to support the 
weight of the body. Williams says: "Experience 
and anatomical investigation points to the con- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 241 

elusion that the sole as well as the wall is intended 
to perform this weight-bearing function." This 
principle of shoeing I carried on for thirteen years 
on the artillery and cavalry horses under my care, 
and during that time the draw knife was never 
used. The result was w^e had no lame horses. The 
majority of them had as sound feet at the end as 
they had when first purchased. On the other hand 
I will give you a description of the ordinary 
method. The blacksmith takes his knife, pares out 
the sole until he can bend it with the pressure of 
his thumb; then he cuts down the frog, opens out 
the heels, as they call it, then applies a hot shoe to 
the wall to burn the part where the shoe is not 
level, and these parts are cut down to fit the shoe 
instead of the shoe fitting the foot. This shoe is 
usually beveled, except a small bearing surface at 
the heel, where it is level, and has a wider bearing 
surface. This shoe is then nailed on and the hoof 
rasped up to or near the top, thus destroyingthe en- 
amel. This the smith calls a neat job. The result 
of this is, the horse has to support all its weight on 
the wall, the sole taking no part. The beveled part 
of the shoe soon sinks into the wall, and a great 
deal of pressure is brought to bear on the heels, 
resulting in corns. The animal having to sustain 
its weight on the walls, they are more or less 
pressed upward, straining their attachments with 
the sensitive laminae, and probably pressing on 
the coronary bands. This does not often cause 
lameness at first, but it is sufficient to interfere 



242 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

with the health}' functions of the hoof, resulting by 
degrees in dryness of the hoof and a little fever 
in the feet, which goes on from bad to worse until 
the animal becomes what is called tender footed, 
and finally a cripple; but in some cases the horse 
is ruined at the first shoeing. As an illustration: 
Col. J. bought a good, sound mare, four years old, 
broken to drive and ride, but never had shoes on. 
She was sent to the shoeing smith, and on account 
of the animal belonging to the colonel and the 
mare a fine one, he shod her in what he would call 
a neat, fancy way. The next da}- the colonel rode 
her a few miles, and on returning he noticed that 
she flinched, but he attributed it to her not being 
used to the saddle. He got off and walked part 
of the way home, and when he arrived there he 
ordered her back to be washed and a soothing lini- 
ment applied. The next morning she could not be 
moved in her stall. The smith was sent for, and 
said the trouble w^as in the shoulders and would 
pass off in a day or two. It did not pass off in 
three days, and I was sent for. I found the ani- 
mal suffering from a very severe attack of lamin- 
itis (founder), from the result of thinning out the 
sole, so that all the weight was on the walls, re- 
sulting in affecting the sensitive laminae to such 
a degree as to cause inflammation of it, as w^ell as 
bruising the sensitive sole. The animal was 
treated, but it being a very severe case and not 
attended to in time the inflammation had done its 
work of destruction. In order to keep your horse's 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 243 

feet healthy never allow the smith to use the knife 
nor put calkins on the shoes, and barring accident 
you will not be troubled with bad feet. 

Disease of the Superior Part of the Coffin Bone. 
— This form of disease may happen to either the 
fore or hind feet, the result of blows and treads by 
the other foot, especially if it is shod with shoes 
with long, sharp calkins, or from over-extension 
of the front tendon at its attachment to the bone. 

Symptoms : There will be lameness, and by and 
by a swelling appears at the top of the hoof in 
front. It is very tender and hot to the touch, will 
vary in size from that of a bean to a pigeon's egg. 
The animal puts its heel to the ground first in 
order to save the front. Matter usually forms, and 
the part sloughs, leaving an angry sore, which is 
very difficult to heal. In some cases after the lame- 
ness the first thing noticed will be a discharge of 
a thin, watery matter from the top of the hoof. 

Treatment: If the animal has a high-heeled 
shoe have it removed, as the heel should be kept 
as low as possible. Foment the foot with hot 
water and put on a linseed meal poultice for a few 
days, and if matter still keeps discharging and the 
part bulging upward and extending over the hoof, 
cut away a little of the hoof with a sharp knife. If 
the hoof presses on the tender part it will increase 
the pain. Then roll up two grains of the bichlor- 
ide of mercury in a small piece of tissue paper and 
press into the wound. This will cause a slough, 
in three days destroying the unhealthy tissue. 
This will relieve the animal and leave the part in 



244 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

a condition to heal. Then use chloride of zinc one 
dram, water half a pint. Inject a little of this 
twice a day. After it heals if any lameness should 
remain use cantharides two drams, lard one 
ounce. Eub a; little of this around the coronet, let 
it remain on for twenty-four hours, then wash off 
and apply a little lard. Repeat in two weeks if 
needed. 

Ossification of the Lateral Cartilage (Side 
Bones). — This disease is most often found, in the 
heavy draft horses, caused by slipping on the stony 
pavement and the great weight of their bodies. It 
is also caused by treads and bruises. A very com- 
mon cause is the tongue of the wagon being al- 
lowed to fall down when the horses are unhitched, 
and in some cases this will fall on the side of the 
foot, injuring the cartilage. When unhitching 
horses from wagons the tongue should be let down 
with the hand, and thus save the animal the pain 
of the tongue striking the foot. The progress of 
this disease is often very slow, and there may be 
considerable swelling of the part, and yet there 
may be no lameness. In this case it is only the 
upper part of the cartilage that is affected. As 
the disease extends downward underneath the 
hoof it then causes pressure on the soft parts, caus- 
ing pain and lameness. 

Symptoms : Usually the first thing noticed is a 
slight hard swelling either on the inside or out, or 
both, just above the hoof, near the heel. If it is 
causing x)ain and lameness the horse will bring the 
toe to the ground first, and while standing will 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 245 

likel}^ point the foot, resting on the toe, thus easing 
the heel. If the hoof is struck lightly oyer the re- 
gion of the cartilage the animal evinces pain. In 
bad cases the hoof will bulge a little in this part 
from the growth of the cartilage underneath it. 
This is a very difficult lameness to cure. 

Treatment : If there is much inflammation ap- 
ply cold water bandages for a week or two ; then 
apply a cantharides blister, two drams to the 
ounce of lard; rub it in well, and let it remain on 
for twenty-four hours; then wash off. Repeat 
every second week. If this does not remove the 
lameness in two or three months then fire it, burn- 
ing three or four marks on it up and down, taking 
case not to burn the coronary band. Give the 
horse several months' rest. 

Contraction of the Foot. — This is not a disease, 
but the result of disease. Whatever interferes 
with the health of the foot usually causes a wast- 
ing of the soft structures, and as a result the hoof 
follows. It is therefore impossible to get the hoof 
to contract if the substance underneath it is 
healthy. It is a law of nature that the hard part 
gives way to the soft. There is no more danger of 
the hoof of a healthy foot contracting than there is 
of the bark of a healthy tree contracting on its 
substance. Neither will the dry weather nor the 
heat of the sun have any effect on the hoof of a 
healthy foot, so therefore follow nature's steps and 
you will not be traubled by contraction. 

Treatment for contraction: Remove all causes, 
if that be possible; if not there is no cure for it. 



246 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

A horse with a contracted foot may be helped by 
putting on a bar shoe, poulticing the foot for two 
weeks with linseed meal, and applying a blister of 
cantharides to the coronet and giving several 
months' rest. To prevent contraction see that your 
horse is shod as directed, and do not keep it stand- 
ing long on a hard floor whether it has shoes on or 
not. Horses were never intended to be kept on 
hard floors. The best kind of floor is made in this 
way: Dig out a foot of the earth and fill it up 
with broken stones or brick, then put on six inches 
of clay and six inches of sand. This makes a 
good, cool, soft place for your horses to stand on 
when not at work, and by spreading some bedding 
on this it is very comfortable for the horses to lie 
down on. The stone or brick foundation keeps the 
place dry, and the earth on top is cool, dry and 
soft. 

Navicular Disease. — This is a disease of the 
navicular bone and the structures surrounding it. 
It is called "coffin joint lameness." This bone is 
situated at the back and inferior part of the coffin 
joint, and acts as a pulley over which the flexor 
tendon of the foot passes. 

Causes of this disease: Horses with upright 
pasterns are most liable to it, as more weight is 
thrown on this joint; horses shod with calkins on 
their shoes, preventing the frog from coming into 
contact with the ground, therefore causing a shock 
to this joint. Some horses have hereditary tend- 
ency to this disease. Nails penetrating too deep 
through the sole, or anything that will cause in- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 247 

flammation of this joint, is likely to produce navic- 
ular disease. The most i^rolific cause is bad shoe- 
ing. B}^ degrees the inflammation in a chronic 
form extends to other parts, causing a shrinking of 
the soft parts, resulting in contraction of the foot. 

Symptoms : The lameness may aj)pear suddenly 
and perhaj)s immediately after the horse has been 
shod, and is then usually thought to be the fault of 
nailing on the shoe. It is likely in this case that 
the smith has pared the sole and frog too thin, and 
that the part has suffered from a bruise by the 
horse stepping on something hard. After a rest it 
may disappear, to return after the next drive. 

Sometimes the disease is of very slow prog- 
ress in one or both fore feet. The first thing 
that is noticed is the animal points its toe, and if 
both are affected, first one, then the other. The an- 
imal may not be lame, but it does not step out as 
well as it used to, and by degrees it gets more 
tender until it begins to go lame, and gradually 
gets worse. There is a form of this lameness where 
the animal shows stiffness and lameness when first 
taken out of the stable, but after being driven for 
a short distance it passes off, and after it stands for 
a while it will start off lame again. If this disease 
lasts for some time the muscles of the chest and 
shoulders seem stiff and may shrink. This has 
been called "chest founder'' by horsemen. This is 
brought about from the soreness of the feet. The 
horse is afraid to step out, giving it the appearance 
of being stiff; the muscles of the chest and shoul- 
ders will shrink from want of proper action, caused 



248 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

by the feet being sore. If there is heat and tender- 
ness in the hollow of the heel or a redness of the 
sole, and the absence of any other disease of the 
foot or leg, we may consider with almost a certain- 
ty that it is a case of navicular or coffin joint lame- 
ness. The result is contraction of the foot. 

Treatment: Take off the shoes, so that the frog 
w^ill rest on the ground, then poultice the feet with 
bran, made up with cold water if it is a recent case, 
but if it is of some months' standing hot water is 
the best; the x)oultices to be put into bags made a 
little larger than the foot ; about two inches deep 
of the bran mash should be put into the bag, then 
put the" foot in and fill in all around as high as the 
fetlock, and tie it above the fetlock and around the 
ankle to keep the bag well on the foot. Wet this 
several times a day and change it once daily. Con- 
tinue this for two weeks, and see that it is properly 
done; if not it will be of no service. Then blister 
the coronet with cantharides two drams, lard one 
ounce. Kepeat in three weeks, and give the animal 
a long rest. I have never seen any good result 
from the use of frog setons, and it is a cruel opera- 
tion. The operation of neurotomy (cutting the 
nerve) has been tried and is sometimes useful 
when the foot is in a good condition for such an 
operation, but if the animal has a weak foot or if 
the disease is far advanced it is worse than useless, 
as the animal will soon pound it to pieces. 

Laminitis (Founder). — Inflammation of the foot, 
called laminitis, or founder, is a very common dis- 
ease among all classeij of horses. The structures 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 249 

affected are the sensitive laminae and the sensi- 
tive sole, and in very severe cases the coffin bones. 
Causes : Some horses have a hereditary tendency 
to this disease by inheriting badly formed feet, bad 
management of the feet, over exertion, drinking 
cold water when the animal is heated; horses 
standing for a long time in railroad cars, where 
they are obliged to brace themselves to keep 
from falling, thus throwing great weight on their 
feet; horses driven on hard roads when the soles 
of their feet have been pared thin, or from the 
shoe bearing too much on the walls of the foot; 
standing in cold water after being warm, standing 
too long on a hard floor w^ithout exercise, too much 
of any kind of food, small quantities of wheat or 
rye; sometimes one quart of wheat will founder a 
horse. It is also caused from diseases of the stom- 
ach, bowels, lungs, and from influenza. If this dis- 
ease is not properly treated there are several condi- 
tions which may take place as a result of this dis- 
ease. The changes which take place in the foot 
are : First, exudation, the result of the inflamma- 
tion, usually at the toe, the foot being more sup- 
plied with blood vessels at this part. The exuda- 
tion may take place between the membrane cover- 
ing the bone and the bone itself, causing an incur- 
able lameness, and sooner or later the complete 
destruction of the foot. In other cases the exuda- 
tion may become absorbed, and by degrees the foot 
becomes healthy. Second: Shrinking of the sensi- 
tive substance takes place, causing contraction of 
the foot and permanent lameness. Sometimes the 



250 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

toe of the coffin bone presses downward on the 
sensitive sole, interfering with the secreting pro- 
cess, rendering the horny sole weak, dry, cheesy or 
spongy, and not strong enough to protect the sen- 
sitive parts within. The outer horn of the wall 
becomes ribbed on account of the secreting sur- 
face of the coronary band being interfered with. 
The ribs or rings of founder are very irregular, and 
run together toward the front of the foot. Gener- 
ally the disease is confined to the fore feet, but all 
may be affected, or only one hind foot, the result of 
long standingon it on account of some injury to the 
other foot or leg. When a horse has a sore foot or 
a very lame leg the shoe should be removed from 
the well foot and the animal encouraged to lie 
down as much as possible, or have it put into a 
sling so as to rest the well foot in case it should 
become affected by laminitis. I have seen many 
bad cases from this cause. 

Symptoms: The pain a horse suffers from an 
acute attack of laminitis is agonizing and persist- 
ent, as the sensitive part of the foot lies betvv^een 
the bony structures on the inside and the unyield- 
ing hoof; and as it swells by its blood vessels being- 
gorged with blood, it has no room to expand, and 
this pressure of the nerves causes intense pain. 
The animal stands in its stall breathing fast and 
heavy, and the nostrils are dilated. If the fore feet 
are the ones affected they will be stretched out in 
front, resting on the heels, and the hind feet 
brought well forward under the body, and the back 
will be arched. It stands in this way in order to 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 251 

take as much weight off the feet as possible. If an 
attempt is made to move him he may sway his 
body backward and forward, but will not move his 
fore feet. If he is compelled to do so he will drag 
them on the heels. I have seen cases where it was 
impossible to move them back in their stalls. If 
much pressure was brought to bear the animal 
would fall rather than move its feet. In first look- 
ing at a horse suffering from acute founder it might 
be mistaken for congestion of the lungs by the 
heavy, fast breathing and the dilated nostrils, but 
no mistake need be made, as in founder it is not 
willing to move, while in congestion of the lungs 
it will move readily. The pulse in founder will be 
full and bounding, while in congestion it will be 
very w^eak and fast, and in some cases impercepti- 
ble. It has also been mistaken for injury to the 
back on account of it being arched, but in this case 
the fore feet would be placed well under the belly. 
The pulse is usually from sixty to eighty, promi- 
nent, full and bounding; the appetite is impaired, 
and in very severe cases the animal will not eat; 
on examining the feet they will be found hot 
to the touch. In some cases the animal will lie 
down upon its side with its legs outstretched for 
hours. In other cases, especially in the early 
stages of the disease, it will stand persistently. 
When the hind feet only are affected the horse will 
stand with all his four feet together, the fore ones 
pushed well under its body, the hind feet ex- 
tended forward, in order to throw its weight on the 
heels. We might think that the hind feet are af- 



252 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

fected, that they would be stretched out behind, 
but in this way the animal would have to bear 
its weight on the toes, which would augment its 
suffering. When compelled to move, as soon as 
its toes come in contact with the ground, it takes a 
sort of jump forward, probably taking three or 
four jumps before it stops. The animal does not 
stand much when the hind feet are affected, and 
seems to get relief as soon as it is in a recumbent 
position. The relief is so great when the animal 
gets off its feet that the pulse will often fall ten to 
twenty beats per minute in the course of a quarter 
of an hour. When all four feet are affected there 
will be a combination of the foregoing. All the 
feet will be found hot, and tender if struck gently 
with the hammer. 

Treatment: Remove the shoes and clean all 
mud and dirt from the feet. Then get two bags 
made a little larger than the foot and long enough 
to reach above the fetlock. Make up a pail of bran 
with hot water, put about two inches of the mash 
in the bottom of the bag and put it on the foot, then 
fill in with bran as high as the fetlock joint and tie 
it above the joint, also around below it to keep the 
poultice well in place. Wet this several times dur- 
ing the day and change it once daily, as if kept too 
long on it will sour. The poultice should be kept 
on the feet until all soreness has passed off. Give 
from the beginning one ounce nitrate of potassium 
in the drinking w^ater or small bran mash three 
times a day. Also give in bad cases twenty to 
thirty drops tincture of aconite in a little water 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 253 

every two hours until the pulse is reduced in 
strength and frequency. Encourage the animal 
to lie down, as the recumbent position relieves it 
very much. If the animal will not lie down of its 
own accord, take a rope and put it under its belly 
and let a man stand on each side and press the rope 
tight against its belly, and by degrees the animal 
will try to rest on it, and when it does so let the 
rope go and the animal will drop down. When 
once down it will likely remain so for several 
hours, as it feels the relief thus obtained, and after 
this it will lie down when it feels like it. It is rec- 
ommended by some after the shoes are removed 
and the foot pared, to stand the horse in a tub of 
hot water, his head being tied so that he cannot 
get out of the tub. I consider this a very useless 
method and a very cruel one. To illustrate: Mr. 
B. had a fast trotting horse, which got an attack 
of laminitis from drinking cold water when heat- 
ed. It was found in the morning in a very bad con- 
dition. A veterinary surgeon was called in (who 
had been taught the tub treatment). He had the 
horse's shoes removed, the feet pared out, and put 
into the tub of hot water and tied, and a groom to 
watch him. By evening the horse was so much 
worse that the owner thought he would die. I was 
called, took the horse out of the tub, put the slings 
under him, and as soon as he leaned his weight on 
the sling I let him down. When the poor animal 
was down it seemed very much relieved. I then put 
warm poultices as above directed and gave the 
animal a few doses of aconite to assist in the re- 



254 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

duction of fever. In two hours the pulse was 
reduced from one hundred to sixty. The animal 
remained down all night. In the morning it got 
up and ate, and under the above treatment made 
a good recovery. The tub treatment is to be con- 
demned as cruel, and the softening of the hoof 
which it is used for can be accomplished much 
better and quicker by the warm poultices and al- 
lowing the horse to lie down. At the end of two 
weeks, if the animal has been properly attended 
to, it will be as sound as if the thing had never 
happened. If there should be the least sign of 
tenderness of the feet blister the coronets with 
cantharides two drams, lard one ounce. After it 
has been on for twenty-four hours wash it off 
and turn the horse out to grass for a few weeks, 
or put it into a loose box and keep the floor soft 
with plenty of straw, or what is better, sawdust or 
short shavings. 

Chronic Laminitis (Founder). — When a case of 
acute laminitis is not properly treated it becomes 
chronic. There is also chronic founder which 
really never has been acute. For instance, a horse 
has been badly shod for some time, and the pres- 
sure or weight of the body confined to the walls 
on account of the sole being cut away, there will 
be a little irritation set up in the sensitive laminae 
and coronary band, causing a little derangement, 
but not enough to produce lameness, but by de- 
grees these parts become affected to such an ex- 
tent as to cause a stiffness in moving, or even 
lameness. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 255 

Symptoms of chronic founder: The horse 
stands with its fore feet a little advanced and the 
hind legs brought a little forward under the belly. 
The position in standing will depend on the case. 
If the animal is suffering much pain the feet will 
be brought further forward. When the animal is 
brought out of the stable it will be stiff and step 
short and dig its toes into the ground, and in bad 
cases may go for some distance stumbling and its 
back a little arched. After moving awhile it 
seems to get better, steps out, and does not stum- 
ble, and the back is not arched; but the horse so 
affected always steps short, and horsemen 
thought it was tied up in the muscles of the 
shoulder and chest (chest founder), but such is not 
the case. The feet are the location of the trouble. 
The muscles of the chest seem to be wasted and 
in some cases they are, but the position in which a 
horse affected with chronic founder stands gives 
it that appearance. By degrees the feet shrink 
from wasting of the sensitive substances from the 
chronic form of inflammation of the feet. This 
form of founder cannot be cured, but can be 
helped by poulticing and blistering the coronets 
and continuing it for several months. Horses af- 
fected by chronic founder should be kept on the 
farm and off the hard roads. 

Coronitis (Inflammation of the Coronary Sub- 
stance). — This derangement usually affects draft 
horses used for pulling heavy loads and being shod 
with calkins on the shoes. It is also seen in horses 
of any breed and is caused by too much weight 



256 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

being placed on the wall of the hoof, pressing up- 
ward on the coronary band, irritating it, and in 
some cases causing inflammation and lameness. 
I have seen a horse sent to be shod, and by the 
smith cutting or paring away the sole so that it 
was too thin to support the wall, the next day, 
after a drive, the horse would go lame. 

Symptoms: Hardness and brittleness of the 
hoof, loss of toughness and pliability, heat around 
the coronet and upper part of the hoof, fullness 
and tenderness of the coronary band; if pressed 
upon the animal will evince pain. If both fore feet 
are affected the horse will have a shuffling gait, 
and the heels are put on the ground first. If only 
one foot is affected the animal will be lame. In 
some cases there will be a separation between the 
band and the hoof. The duration of this form of 
lameness depends on the severity of the case. It 
can be distinguished from laminitis by a bulging 
of the coronary band and the heat and tenderness 
of the part. 

Treatment: Kemove the shoe and poultice the 
foot for a few days, then put on a bar shoe, so 
that the weight will rest on the frog. Keep on a 
shoe of this kind until the sole becomes thick and 
strong, then put on a flat shoe, and keep the 
blacksmith's knife away from the sole. If lame- 
ness should persist after being poulticed for a 
week and a bar shoe put on, blister the coronet 
with cantharides two drams, lard one ounce. Re- 
peat in two vfeeks if necessary. This is a very 
common form of lameness, and in the majority of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 257 

cases can be prevented by the proper method of 
shoeing mentioned in the first chapter on diseases 
of the foot. 

Carbuncle of the Coronary Band. — This consists 
of an oval, irregular swelling on some portion of 
the coronary band. It is hard at first and some- 
times very painful, causing lameness. After a 
time suppuration takes place at several points, 
which discharges unhealthy matter. In some 
cases it will spread all around the coronary, and 
there will be a number of small openings, from 
which thin matter will exude, forming a very un- 
healthy looking sore. Prof. Williams, of Edin- 
burgh, says: "I am inclined to think it is due to a 
blood poison similar to that of glanders and farcy, 
as it is oftenest seen in unhealthy situations, ill- 
ventilated stables, and in horses with bad or gross 
constitutions. I was inclined, w^hen I first saw it, 
to attribute it to some injury to the part, and to 
believe that the unhealthy action was the conse- 
quence of such an injury, or to the introduction of 
some deleterious material into the wound; but 
further experience has convinced me that it often 
originates from constitutional causes, and that it 
is an inflammation of the coronary substance, 
due to the presence of some morbid material in 
the blood." I am inclined to believe that the opin- 
ion of Prof. Williams is correct, as it is a very dif- 
ficult derangement to cure. 

Treatment: Poultice for a few days at first to 
assist it to form matter, then apply a lotion of 
acetate of lead half an ounce, sulphate of zinc half 



258 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

an ounce, carbolic acid half an ounce, water one 
quart ; bathe the sores with a little of this several 
times a day to reduce the swelling and if possible 
to dry up the part. If there is a discharge from 
little openings, probe them to find the direction 
and depth, then roll up one grain of bichloride of 
mercury in a piece of tissue paper and press it into 
the opening. If there are a number of these treat 
them alike. In a few days there will be a slough 
of the unhealthy part and it may then heal. If it 
does not use the mercury again, and so on until it 
becomes healthy; then use the above lotion. 
When it heals, if it should leave the band thick, 
blister it with cantharides blister as in founder. 
Give the animal a dose of aloes, to be followed by 
giving sulphate of iron four ounces, nitrate of po- 
tassium four ounces, nux vomica tw^o ounces; mix 
and divide into twenty-four doses, to be given 
twice daily in bran mash. 

False Quarter. — This is due to a deranged con- 
dition of the coronary band. The horny wall be- 
ing secreted by the coronary band, it follows that 
if a part of it is destroyed, that the part of the wall 
below it can be no longer supplied with horn. The 
sensitive laminae supplies in a modified condition 
a substance to take the place of the horn, but it 
is usually thin and w^eak, and has fissures or 
cracks in it. These cracks are usually wider at 
the bottom than at the top. This derangement does 
not always cause lameness, but is very liable to 
do so, and therefore the horse may be considered 
unsound. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 259 

' Causes: Injuries to the coronary band, destroy- 
ing its secreting substance. 

Treatment: If the animal is lame poultice the 
foot to reduce the inflammation; then put on a 
bar shoe, so that it will rest on tlie frog and wall, 
except the affected part; this will take off the 
pressure, and the animal will not go lame. Re- 
move all the ragged edges, and cut a little of the 
band, then heal this as an ordinary wound, and 
there is a possibility of the band growing up and 
being capable of growing out a healthy hoof. I 
have succeeded in some cases. Keep using the bar 
shoe until the hoof grows down, and if it does not 
do so it will still be necessary to keep on the bar 
shoe to protect the weak part. 

Sand Crack. — A sand crack may be found in 
any part of the wall of the foot. It differs from 
false quarter in being caused by a dry, brittle con- 
dition of the hoof. The parts where it is usually 
found are in front and on the inside quarters, sel- 
dom on the outside. 

Causes: When the hoof from some cause be- 
comes brittle, dry and hard it loses what elasticity 
it had and is liable to crack from over-exertion, 
so that a sand-crack may appear suddenly. This 
is the case when the sole of the foot isi weakened 
by paring; the weight-bearing surface is limited 
to the wall, the weight thus thrown on the wall 
overstrains it, and it may split at once, or it in- 
duces a deranged condition of the structures to 
which it is attached, causing the dryness favorable 
for it cracking. Sand-crack begins at the top of 



260 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the hoof, where it is thin, and extends downward. 
It will gap a little when the foot comes in contact 
with the ground, and close again when the foot 
is elevated; on this account sometimes the sensi- 
tive tissue gets into the crack and gets squeezed, 
causing blood to issue from the crack. In this 
case the animal suffers great pain, and often in- 
flammation sets in, and matter may form as a 
result. 

Treatment : Poultice the foot for a few days to 
remove any inflammation that may be present 
and to soften the hoof; then put on a bar shoe 
so that it will not rest on the wall where the crack 
is, and take a sharp drawing knife and pare out a 
piece of the hoof at the top, separating it com- 
pletely from the coronary band, about three- 
fourths of an inch on each side of the crack, down 
to the quick. This part can be filled with tar to 
keep out the dirt. A cantharides blister should be 
rubbed around the coronary band every third 
week. When the pressure of the old hoof is re- 
moved by this cutting the new one grows out 
sound, having nothing to interfere with it ; but if 
this is not done properly as soon as a little of the 
new^ hoof growls out it splits as at first. I have 
made some good cures and kept the horse at work 
by the use of the bar shoe, and an occasional poul- 
tice at night if there was any fever in the foot. 
Clasps and nails put through the edges of the 
crack are of no practical value and should not be 
used. Sand-crack can nearly always be prevented 
by proper shoeing and keeping the feet cool. If 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 261 

they should become fevered after a long journey 
on a hard road put them in a bran poultice for a 
few days, and if a horse has thin, weak feet, use 
the bar shoe during the summer, and do not touch 
the sole with the knife. 

Keraloma. — This is the name given to a horny 
tumor caused by the toe-clip of the shoe, where it 
has been hammered too tightly, or from the ani- 
mal striking its toe against the ground. This dis- 
ease is usually found in the hind feet, although I 
have seen it in the fore feet. I have seen cases of 
this kind in which the horse was not lame; but 
unless the horse is properly shod and the part 
protected lameness will be the result. Poultice 
the foot to soften it, then cut away as much of the 
hoof surrounding the tumor as possible, so that 
there will be a groove between it and the wall ; re- 
move as much of the tumor as is prudent, then fill 
up the groove with tar and put on a broad shoe, 
with a piece turned up over the part to protect 
it. It has been recommended to remove the whole 
of the crust immediately over the diseased part by 
cutting through it on either side from top to bot- 
tom, detaching it from the sole and tearing it away, 
leaving the sensitive parts exposed. The operation 
is a very cruel one and should never be performed 
unless the disease has resisted all other treatment; 
even then it does not always succeed, as there is 
every likelihood of matter forming and destroying 
the sensitive laminae, preventing the development 
of a new horn. In some cases it succeeds, but it 



262 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

takes months of treatment. I do not consider such 
treatment advisable. 

Seedj-Toe. — This consists of a separation of the 
wall at the toe from the sensitive laminae, caus- 
ing a hollow space, which emits a hollow sound 
when tapped with the hammer. It is the result of 
toe-clips. Especially is this the case when the 
shoe is put on hot and burned in, which should 
never be done. It is caused by laminitis and nails 
penetrating the hoof at the toe. This disease may 
be found sometimes at the side of the foot from the 
use of side-clips. 

Symptoms : The hoof at the toe or side becomes 
very dry, and if pared has a cheesy or rather a 
mealy appearance, and a little exploration will 
show a separation of the sole from the wall. There 
will be a hollow space between the hoof and the 
sensitive laminae, which in some cases may ex- 
tend to the coronet, and in some cases of long 
standing the hoof will bulge. It is not often that 
this causes lameness; but sand and other dirt are 
very apt to get in at the separated part and cause 
irritation, with fever in the foot, and lameness. 

Treatment: This is a very troublesome case to 
treat. It seems to be almost impossible to get a 
union of the wall and sole. It has been recom- 
mended to remove all the loose hoof as far back as 
the quick, and treat it by applying tar and band- 
ages and encourage the growth of horn. I have 
seen this tried, but it did not prove successful. The 
best treatment is to shoe the horse with a broad 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 263 

toe-clip and fill well in between the clip and the 
separation with tar and oakum. This will prevent 
the dirt from getting into it. Keep the foot soft by 
putting on a poultice occasionally and by apply- 
ing a cantharides blister to the coronet. In this 
way we will increase the growth of horn and in 
some cases effect a cure. 

Corns. — Corns are the result of bruises at the 
angle of the heel between the bar and the wall, 
and usually on the inside heel of the foot, and al- 
ways on the fore feet, as they are the weight-bear- 
ers of the body. The structure affected is the sen- 
sitive sole. The bruises cause a rupture of the 
small blood vessels, the blood extravasating into 
horny sole, causing a red spot. 

Causes : Bad shoeing. Prof. Williams, of Edin- 
burgh, says: "The ordinary seated shoe is the 
most irrational invention that ever emanated from 
man's brain. It is a thing that bears upon no part 
of the sole except upon the spot that is incapable 
of bearing such pressure. It is dished out, made 
concave all around the foot except at the heels, 
and the result is corns." This saying is correct. 
Corns can be produced only by pressure on the 
part, and, the above described shoe is calculated 
to do it A shoeing smith should be ashamed to 
shoe a horse in this manner in this enlightened 
age; still that is what they are doing every day. 
It is said by some of those men that they have 
found corns on horses that never were shod. Such 
a case may happen in the unshod horse by the 
inner corner of the hoof growing long and inclined 



264 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

to turn inward and then press on the sensitive 
part, causing a corn, but such cases are very sel- 
dom seen, and are no excuse for bad- shoeing. To 
prevent corns leave the sole untouched, rasp the 
wall level, and put on a flat shoe, so that the pres- 
sure will be even all around, the sole bearing part 
of the weight, and you will never have a corn on 
your horse^s foot. 

Symptoms of corns : The horse will show more 
or less lameness. When it stands it will put its 
foot out before it, resting on the toe. If both feet 
are affected it will shift, pointing first one, then 
the other. In examining the foot to find the cause 
of lameness there will be heat on the inside of the 
hoof at the heel, and if tapped lightly with the 
hammer the animal will flinch. Remove the shoe 
and take a pair of pincers and press with them 
all around the sole, and when you come to the heel 
the animal will evince pain on slight pressure. 
Take a knife and pare a little off the sole at the 
angle of the bar, where you will find the sole red. 
In some cases of corns there will be first inflamma- 
tion, terminating in the formation of matter, or 
a shrinking of the sensitive laminae. Often the 
matter finds its way out of the top of the hoof. 
When there is matter forming there is usually 
great lameness. The result of long-continued 
corns is contraction of the heel. Corns are the 
most common cause of contraction. 

Treatment: Remove the shoe and poultice the 
feet to soften the hoof and relieve the inflamma- 
tion. Then rasp the wall of the hoof level and put 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 265 

on a level bar shoe. When the shoe is fitted rasp 
away a little of the wall at the seat of the corn, 
so that the shoe will not press on it. By thus re- 
moving the inflammation by the poultice, and the 
bar shoe taking the weight off the sore part, the 
animal will go sound. The corn should never be 
pared, and no strong medicine, such as spirits of 
salt, applied to it, as it does harm and is unneces- 
sary. In some cases by removing the shoe, which 
is causing the corn, and putting on a bar shoe, 
removing the pressure from the part, the horse 
will go sound without having to be laid off work. 
If matter forms it will be necessary to make a 
small opening to allow the matter to escape, then 
put on a poultice for a few days, then put on a 
bar shoe as above. Put a little tar and oakum in 
the opening to keep out the dirt until a new piece 
of sole grows up. The bar shoe should be used un- 
til the sole of the foot grows strong. Then by using 
the flat shoe and not paring the sole you will not be 
troubled with any more corns on your horse's feet. 
Thousands of dollars are lost yearly from corns 
alone caused by bad shoeing. 

Thrush. — This is a disease characterized by a 
foetid discharge from the frog, caused by a dis- 
eased condition of the secretory surface of the 
fatty frog. The clefts are the parts usually af- 
fected, and if the disease is not properly treated 
it will soon spread over the whole frog, causing a 
detachment of the horny part from the sensitive. 

Causes: Anything that interferes with the 
health of the part, notably bad shoeing, by pre- 



266 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

venting the frog from coming in contact with the 
ground. It is also caused by the animal standing 
in dirty stables, and some years when the barn- 
yard is in a wet, muddy condition for a long time 
the feet never getting a chance to dvj, but I have 
found more cases caused by the former than the 
latter. 

Symptoms : There is a discharge of a very foul 
smelling matter of a dark color exuding from the 
clefts of the frog. In cleaning out the clefts they 
will be found deep and extending into the sensi- 
tive parts, sometimes causing lameness. As it 
spreads the horny frog becomes detached and 
there will be matter underneath it. In cases 
where it is caused from navicular disease it is in- 
curable. 

Treatment: Clean out the parts well, and if the 
horse is lame put on a poultice of linseed meal for 
a few days, then dry it and press a little calomel 
into all the cavities; then press in some paper or 
soft rags to keep in the calomel and keep out the 
dirt. Clean out every second day until the clefts 
are dry and healthy. Remove the cause to prevent 
a return of the disease. 

Canker. — When a structure composed of low 
organized tissue becomes injured, such as the frog, 
it is very apt to produce a rapid growth of un- 
healthy tissue, spreading over the whole of the 
frog, even sometimes extending to the sole, but is 
generally confined to the frog. As the fatty frog 
is a tissue of low organization it is the usual seat 
of canker. When tendons about the lower part of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 267 

the legs and bulbs of the heels are injured we find 
a growth resembling canker developing. 

Causes: It is said by some to be caused by a 
vegetable parasite, but I do not think such is the 
case; the vegetable parasite is the result, not the 
cause. I have removed the horny frog and bound 
on the exudation from a canker, but could not 
produce it. It is said from some unknown rea- 
son horses with lymphatic temperaments, thick 
skin, flat feet, fleshy frogs, heavy hair, and particu- 
larly white feet and legs are especially liable to 
canker. The tissue of such horses is soft and low 
organized, and when injured is not so easily healed 
as that of a well-bred horse, and has more tenden- 
cy to take on an unhealthy development. I think 
that is likely the reason why the heavy draft horse 
is more liable to such derangements. It is said the 
is likely the reason why the heavy draft horse is 
more liable to such derangements. It is said the 
condition most favorable for the development of 
canker is dampness; in fact, dampness seems to 
be indispensable to the existence and grow^th of 
the parasite. I have no doubt that such is the 
case so far as the parasite is concerned, but as for 
canker the majority of cases that have come under 
my notice have been horses which w^orked in the 
city, having good, comfortable, dry stables. I 
cannot recall a case which I consider was caused 
by dampness. The worst case of canker I ever had 
to treat was during the summer months, when 
everything was excessively dry and the stable was 
kept clean. Canker seems to be a disease peculiar 



268 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

to some horses, as it sometimes affects two or 
three feet of the same horse at the same time, and 
I think is caused by bad shoeing, that is, cutting 
away too much of the horny frog, and when the 
animal tramps on some hard substance the fatty 
frog is bruised, this being the exciting cause. It is 
also the result of nails penetrating the frog, or 
other injuries. 

Symptoms of canker: There is an abundant 
discharge of a thin, very offensive smelling fluid. 
The frog swells, becomes soft and spongy. The 
outer surface may have some stringy fibers of horn, 
which, if it is pared off, bleeds very freely; in fact 
it has become a bleeding fungus. In some cases 
the discharge dries, forming cheesy patches com- 
posed of horny cells, very foul smelling. Al- 
though healing preparations have been used, it has 
no disposition to heal, but gradually gets worse 
and the animal becomes very lame. If only one 
foot is affected it will hold it up for a while; if two 
or more feet are affected the animal will lie down 
the greater part of the time, and it may require 
assistance to rise. 

Treatment : If the animal is fat give it a dose of 
aloes as a physic. Follow this by giving one tea- 
spoonful of phosphate of calcium in the morning 
and a heaping teaspoonful of sulphate of iron in 
the evening. Continue this for two weeks. If the 
animal is fevered give half an ounce nitrate of po- 
tassium a day in a bran mash. Poultice the foot 
for a few days with linseed meal made into a poul- 
tice with boiling water and spread it on a cloth, 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 269 

and when cool enough to apply sprinkle on a tea- 
spoonful of acetate of lead. Remove it twice daily. 
After the surrounding horn is softened and the 
foot cleaned by the poultice, then remove all loose 
horn, and also pare the frog down to the quick, 
and after bleeding has ceased clean and dry the 
part w^ell. Take a piece of smooth stick and rub on 
a little finely powdered bichloride of mercury; use 
no more at once than would lie on a dime, as there 
is danger of it becoming absorbed, but no danger 
from using that quantity. Cover the part with dry 
cotton batting or oakum and put on a boot or bag. 
Do not disturb this until the end of the second day, 
and if it is still dry and the surface hard, let it 
alone for another day or two. When the crust 
that has formed by the mercury comes off, apply a 
little more, and so on until it appears firm and 
healthy. This is the best thing to use in the ma- 
jority of cases, but when the discharge keeps up, 
which it will sometimes do, use a liquid caustic, 
such as terchloride of antimony or diluted nitric 
acid. Put on sufficient to cover all the diseased 
surface. Protect the sore as before, and repeat the 
caustic once a day if necessary. If there is any 
hard horn pressing on the sore part remove it. A 
shoe should be put on, as it will protect the sore. 
After the unhealthy parts have been removed I 
find that to sprinkle calomel over the surface once 
every third day is a good thing. Some prefer tar, 
with a little sulphuric acid, two parts of tar and 
one of acid. Dip cotton batting or oakum into it 
and spread over the surface, and keep in place by 



270 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

putting strips of tin between it and the shoe. 
Whatever medicine is used, it takes a long time to 
cure it, but most cases can be remedied if the 
treatment is continued and well done. 

Punctures to the Sole of the Feet by Nails. — A 
horse may step on a nail and it may pierce any part 
of the sole, but usually it is found to have entered 
the cleft of the frog. The danger of a nail pene- 
trating the foot is the depth it penetrates and the 
structures it injures. Thus a nail enters the cleft 
of the frog midway between the toe and the heel, 
and if it should penetrate deep it would likely 
wound the coffin joint, causing a severe lameness, 
and sometimes the death of the animal. I have 
seen several cases of this kind. 

Treatment: Remove the nail as soon as possi- 
ble. Clean the foot and put on a bran poultice to 
assist in keeping down the inflammation, and con- 
tinue this for three days. Pare away a little of the 
sole, as it is likely matter will form. This being 
done pour on a little diluted carbolic acid, a tea- 
spoonful to four ounces of water; dress it once a 
day and keep it clean by putting on a dry bag. The 
horse should not be put to work until it is over its 
lameness. The sole is sometimes punctured by 
some sharp substance. If the animal is lame the 
shoe should be removed and the sole cleaned and 
pared out a little and the puncture found. Pare 
away a little of the sole at the puncture, just suffi- 
cient to allow the matter to escape. By cutting 
out a piece of the sole the sensitive sole will pro- 
trude and often become fungus. There is no need 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CAtTLS. 2^1 

to remoTe more than will let the matter out. Put 
on a poultice to reduce the fever, then treat as for 
nail in the foot. 

Pricks in Shoeing. — In driving the nail in shoe- 
ing it may penetrate the sensitive sole, or it may 
be so close to it as to cause a pressure on the sen- 
sitive part. When a horse is pricked in shoeing 
the animal will jerk his foot away from the smith, 
the nail is drawn out, but the sensitive sole is 
wounded. The animal may go lame or it may not. 
When the nail is too closely driven to the quick, 
causing a slight bulge of the horny part against 
the sensitive, there may be no lameness when the 
horse leaves the shop, but in a day or two the ani- 
mal becomes lame. In all cases in which a horse 
becomes lame, at or soon after being shod, and if 
no other cause is apparent, it will be necessary to 
have the shoe removed and the foot put into a 
poultice for a few da^^s to remove the soreness. In 
cases of pricks it may be necessary, if the animal 
remains lame after the foot has been poulticed, to 
pare the part where the nail punctured to allow 
any matter that may have formed to escape. Re- 
place the poultice again for a few days. By at- 
tending to this properly you may save the animal 
much suffering and yourself much loss, as I have 
seen several cases of lock-jaw caused by pricks by 
the nail in shoeing, which, if they had been attend- 
ed to at once, could have been saved. It will be 
necessary to put on a bar shoe in order to remove 
weight from the injured part and have it rest on 
the frog arud sound part of the foot. 



272 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Weak Feet. — There are some horses whose feet 
are naturally weak, having thin heels, and very 
brittle walls, that will split into layers when the 
nails are driven. Such feet require to be shod with 
strong bar shoes; and in some cases it will be a 
benefit to put leather soles under the shoe. Any 
horse which shows any tenderness or slight pain 
after a long drive or a hard day's work can be 
greatly relieved by having the feet and legs bathed 
in water; or better, a bran poultice put on during 
the night. This will remove the soreness, and the 
animal will be sound in the morning. 

Quittor. — This is the name given to a fistulous 
opening upon the heels and quarters of the coron- 
ary band, and is caused by treads, pricks in shoe- 
ing, bruises, -and suppurating corns. Any injury 
which will cause suppuration within the foot will 
usually cause matter to form at the coronet, and 
may result in quittor. 

The symptoms of quittor: Swelling upon the 
coronet, great lameness, and a discharge of thin 
or thick curdy pus. There may be one or a number 
of small openings leading down Into the sensitive 
part of the foot. The parts surrounding the quit- 
tor swell and become hard and take on a peculiar 
unhealthy action and are dif&cult to cure. 

Treatment : Clean the foot and put into a bran 
poultice for several days, then remove any horn 
that may be pressing on the sore part. If it is at 
the heel remove the crust with the knife; if it is 
in front rasp it thin. If it is caused by a punc- 
ture in the foot open up the part a little so that 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 273 

if there is any matter it will escape. Then probe 
the opening at the top to find the depth and direc- 
tion. Take a grain of the bichloride of mercury 
and roll it up in tissue paper into a cone and press 
it down to the bottom. Serve all the openings in 
this way. Put the foot into a bag to protect it 
from injury and let it alone for three days, then 
clean out the openings and put in some more of 
the bichloride of mercury, and so on for two weeks, 
or until the parts become healthy and the hard 
swelling has decreased; then make up a bath of 
chloride of zinc one ounce, water one gallon; put 
the foot in this twice a day for twenty minutes at 
a time. As soon as the openings are healed blister 
the coronet with cantharides two drams, lard one 
ounce; repeat in two weeks if necessary. When it 
is time to put on the shoe and work the horse, a bar 
shoe will be best. If the animal has much fever 
in the early stages of the disease give a dose of 
aloes, and follow this by giving half an ounce of 
nitrate of potassium twice a day in mash. Later in 
the disease give a teaspoonful of sulphate of iron 
once daily in bran mash as a tonic. 

SORE FEET IN CATTLE. 

Cattle are occasionally affected with sore feet, 
by hard substances getting impacted between the 
hoofs. This happens often in towns and where the 
cinders from coal fires have been put in the yard, 
this substance getting in between the claws into 
the soft parts, causing inflammation, suppura- 
tion and great lameness. The cinders should never 



274 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

be put into yards where cloven-footed animals are 
kept. Cattle kept standing on a hard floor, or 
sometimes on very hard pastures, or driven on 
hard roads, are liable to suffer from sore feet, re- 
sembling founder in horses. Nails and other sharp 
bodies sometimes penetrate the feet of cattle. 

Symptoms : The animal is seen to go lame, or a 
sore swelling may appear at the back of the foot or 
heels. It will be necessary to examine the foot or 
feet carefully and find the cause. If it is from im- 
paction of hard material in the cleft of the hoof 
have it removed and the parts well cleaned, and 
use a lotion of zinc chloride one dram, water one 
pint; dress with this twice a day and keep the 
animal on clean straw until healed. If from some 
sharp substance in the hoof remove it and pare a 
little opening in the sole and use a little of the 
above lotion. It is almost impossible to keep a 
poultice on the feet of cattle, especially on a hind 
foot, as it will keep kicking until the poultice 
comes off. If it is caused by standing on a hard 
floor or hard ground remove to a damp, soft place 
for a few days, when usually the animal will be 
relieved. The disease known as the foot and 
mouth disease, or foul in the feet, which is a con- 
tagious one, has not reached this country. There 
have been some few cases which somewhat resem- 
bled it, but on investigation it proved to be only a 
local disease and not contagious. I have met with 
some few cases in which inflammation had taken 
place in the sensitive sole, causing a separation 
of the horn from the soft parts ; also granulations 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 275 

of a soft, unhealthy substance at the heel between 
the claws. This was called "foul in the foot," and 
a few cattle on the same farm were affected with 
it. I found that it was not contagious and readily 
yielded to treatment. Clean the hoofs and remove 
some of the loose horn, and remove any matter that 
is lodged between the horn and soft parts and 
dress it with the above lotion. If there are any 
unhealthy granulations apply a little terchloride 
of antimony with a brush or a feather once a day 
until they are reduced, then apply the chloride of 
zinc lotion to heal the part. The animal should 
be kept in a clean place while under treatment. 



276 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

FISTULA OF THE WITHERS. 

This is a disease usually found on the withers, 
but may occur in other parts of the body. It is 
caused by a bruise, pressure, or injury. Some- 
times it may be caused by the collar or saddle and 
is also caused by horses rolling on something hard. 
Horses with high withers are usually more prone 
to it. I have also taken notice in my practice that 
two-thirds of the cases I have treated were mares, 
I think from their withers being bitten by the 
horse. The deep parts are affected, by a low form 
of inflammation, causing some swelling; and by 
degrees the injured tissue breaks down into mat- 
ter, and if the part is not opened will break of its 
own accord and discharge. There is a tendency of 
this part to form a quantity of false, unhealthy tis- 
sue of a soft, spongy texture, and as long as any of 
it remains the part will not heal, and if it should 
do so it will soon break out again, and in the mean- 
time more false tissue will form. It is said that 
the matter burrows down through the muscles. 
This is not correct, as I have never seen a case in 
which matter burrowed, unless between the skin 
and the flesh, and not often there. If such was the 
case, in old standing fistulas the matter would find 
its way out at the bottom instead of the top. The 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 277 

matter forms by the breaking down of the tissue 
in the direction in which it is injured. The idea 
that it is necessary to have a depending opening 
for the escape of the matter is a mistake. I have 
proved to my own satisfaction that healthy pus 
does not prevent a wound in any part of the body 
from healing. Fistula is considered a very trouble- 
some disease to treat; but since I have adopted a 
method first introduced by my late brother, Dr. 
James Mcintosh, I have had no difficulty in curing 
it. I have treated fifty-four cases of it at the free 
clinic at the University of Illinois and all were 
cured. A number of these were of two and three 
years^ standing and had been treated in the old 
way by the use of the knife. After experimenting 
for several years on this disease by the use of the 
knife and various caustic medicines, my brother 
adopted the following treatment: Examine the 
opening with a probe to find the direction and 
depth, and at the same time ascertain if there is 
any foreign substance in it, such as a fragment of 
bone from the spine of the vertebra or disease of 
same. When satisfied that there is none (or if 
there should be remove it), then take a strip of soft 
muslin and dip it in terchloride of antimony and 
press it into the opening, then draw it out again 
and put in another. Let the last remain in for 
some hours; then draw it out, let it alone for three 
daj s, then repeat. If there is more than one open- 
ing serve the others in the same way. On the third 
or fourth day repeat, and so on for three or four 
weeks until all the unhealthy tissue is destroyed, 



278 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

which is known by the mouth of the opening sink- 
ing in and the sw^elling being reduced. Besides 
putting the antimony into the openings it is neces- 
sary to rub a little of the following on the swelling : 
Cantharides, two drams; lard, one ounce; rub on a 
sufficient quantity of this well in with the fingers. 
Kepeat in two weeks. This form of blister seems 
to have the power of acting as an alterative, chang- 
ing the unhealthy tissue into healthy, and there- 
fore assists greatly in the cure of fistula. In a 
week or two after stopping the use of the antimony, 
if the openings should show signs of bulging, and 
have a bluish, spongy aspect, use the antimony 
again for a few times, as it is possible that all the 
pipes were not destroyed. I have had to do this 
three or four times before I succeeded in getting it 
in a healthy condition to heal. Keep at it even if 
it takes several months to cure it. There are cases 
in which the withers of the horse get bruised, caus- 
ing swelling and heat of the part, which would like- 
ly become a fistula if it were not properly treated. 
Bathe the part well with cold water for twenty 
minutes three times a day, and apply acetate of 
lead, half an ounce; water, one quart. Saturate 
a piece of woolen rag with a little of this and lay 
it over the swollen part after each bathing, until 
the heat is removed, then use the cantharides blis- 
ter above mentioned. Repeat every second week. 
This w^ill either scatter it or hasten the formation 
of matter. If a i)art of the swelling becomes very 
soft and the hair drops out it is in a condition to 
be opened with the knife. After removing the 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 279 

matter by injecting water into it, use the antimony 
as above directed. 

POLL-EVIL. 

This form of fistula is situated on the "poll" be- 
hind the ears, and is caused by injuries and using 
a tight bearing rein. 

Symptoms : A swelling appears behind the ears, 
it may be on one side or both. When it appears 
quickly it is hot and painful to the touch; at other 
times it comes on gradually and is not hot or ten- 
der. It increases very slowly and it may be years 
before it turns into a fistula. I have seen a num- 
ber of cases of this kind, and all enlargements be- 
hind the ears should be looked upon with suspicion. 
In some cases matter will form in a few days. 

Treatment : In all cases of swelling in this local- 
ity the treatment should be energetic and well 
done; a fistula when established is very difficult to 
cure, as there are so many tendons in this part that 
it is not easy to get under them, and the tissue is 
of the low order, having a great tendency to de- 
velop quantities of unhealthy flesh. In the early 
stage before matter has formed, and it is hot and 
tender, bathe it for half an hour with cold water 
three times a day and apply the lead lotion as for 
the fistula of the withers. After all the heat has 
disappeared and the swelling remains, apply the 
cantharides blister; and for those lumps which 
are developing slowly and which have no heat or 
tenderness in them, also blister every second week 
and continue it if necessary for several months. 



280 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

and in the majority of cases they will disappear. 
The bearing* rein should not be used on a horse so 
afflicted; in fact, it should not be used on any. It 
is cruel to keep a horse for hours with its head ele- 
vated in the air, and if the poor brute is driven fac- 
ing the sun it suffers greatly and it destroys the 
sight to a certain extent. I hope the day is not 
far distant when no right minded man will allow 
a bearing rein on his horse. When the matter 
forms, the lumps ought to be opened and the parts 
cleaned out with water and the same manner of 
treatment used as for fistula of the withers. Some- 
times stiffness of the neck is the result of i3oll-evil, 
and may in some cases be benefited by repeated 
blistering with cantharides. 

FISTULA. 

A fistula may form in any part of the body, and 
is the result of an injury caused by the lodgment 
of some foreign substance such as a piece of wood 
or a nail in the muscle or the bone, and the tissue 
may become diseased, which causes the formation 
of matter, keeping up the discharge. A horse was 
brought to me which had a discharge of matter 
from a small opening in its hip for over two years. 
On examining it with the probe I found at the depth 
of four inches a hard substance. I had the horse 
cast and I cut down on this hard substance and 
found it to be a piece of wood imbedded in the mus- 
cle, surrounded b}^ a tough membrane with a small 
opening in it through which the matter that ac- 
cumulated passed out to the surface, forming a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 281 

fistula. The wood was removed and it healed in 
a few weeks with very little treatment. A little of 
the following, acetate of lead half an ounce, 
sulphate of zinc half an ounce, w^ater one quart, 
was injected once daily. I give this as an illustra- 
tion, and I have seen many cases resembling it. 
If a deep sore does not heal in a reasonable time, 
it should be examined with a probe to find the 
cause and remove it if possible. If nothing can be 
detected in the wound, treat as recommended for 
fistula of the withers. 



282 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

WOUNDS. 

In the study of wounds it is necessary to under- 
stand the nature of the structure wounded. The 
external surface of the animal body is chiefly com- 
posed of two kinds of tissue, the highly organized 
and the low form. All the fleshy or muscular 
parts belong to the former; the tendons, ligaments 
and cartilage to the latter. What is meant by 
highly-organized tissue is where it is largely sup- 
plied with blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, 
while the low order of tissue contains very few if 
any blood vessels, nerves and lymphatics, and is 
nourished by the vessels which ramify over their 
surface. When a muscle is wounded, the first 
thing nature does is to pour out a liquid to repair 
the mischief done. This may take place by ad- 
hesion or by a fine granular substance which de- 
velops and fills up the injured part; blood vessels 
shoot into it and it becomes flesh, and so it pro- 
ceeds until the part is repaired, and if no accident 
happens to it, either by the animal rubbing or bit- 
ing it, and last but not least, by the applying of 
irritant substances such as turpentines or strong 
liniments, which destroy the fine, delicate young- 
tissue that nature is pouring out for repair, all that 
is needed to assist nature in the healing is to pro- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 283 

tect it from injury if possible. First examine the 
wound to find the depth and direction and to see 
that there is no foreign substance in it, then re- 
move all hair or dirt and wash it out carefully with 
water in which a little carbolic acid has been put, 
about a teaspoonful to the quart of water. If it is 
a superficial wound it is best cleaned by letting 
the Avater run over it, and if deep, use a syringe 
with gentle force. Washing with a sponge is too 
rough for the new tissue. If the wound is a clean 
cut, lengthwise on the muscle, stitching is of use. 
If the wound is ragged or cut crosswise, stitch- 
ing is of no use, as the ragged parts haye to slough 
off and the movement of the muscle prevents a cut 
from uniting and must heal by granulation. After 
a wounded muscle has been cleaned, wash as little 
as possible, as it will disturb the healing process. 
In the majority of flesh w^ounds, if they are not dis- 
turbed they will heal very rapidly. They will heal 
even if treated by strong liniments, but very likely 
there will be a blemish, which would not be if na- 
ture was not interfered with. There is an idea 
that most people have that they must use some- 
thing to keep out the cold or heat, which is a mis- 
take, and by doing this the strong medicines used 
do far more damage than the cold or heat. 

Wounds are divided into four kinds: Incised 
(clean cut), lacerated (torn), contused (bruised), and 
punctured wounds. I shall give the treatment of 
each kind separately. A clean-cut wound length- 
wise on the muscle usually heals by what is called 
first intention. First examine the wound as to its 



284 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

depth and direction and to see that there is no 
foreign substance in it, next stop bleeding by ap- 
plying cold or hot water to it. If a large vessel 
has been cut, it requires to be tied. Then mix one 
teaspoonful of carbolic acid in a quart of water 
and let a little of this run over the cut surface. 
Then bring the edges of the wound together either 
by pins, silk thread, or cat-gut steeped in the above 
lotion. Pins are the best, as they remain in longer 
without sloughing. The pin should be inserted 
one-eighth of an inch from the edge, and when 
both lips have been transfixed in this way, a thread 
or small cord carried around both edges of the pin 
and made to describe a figure eight will hold the 
wound close. The pins should be put in about 
three-quarters of an inch apart. If the thread or 
cat-gut is used the needle should be passed in 
about a quarter of an inch from the edge of the 
wound and brought out at the other side about 
the same distance, then the two ends of the thread 
are tied and another stitch about three-quarters of 
an inch apart, and so on until the wound is closed; 
apply a little carbolic lotion once a day to the part, 
but be careful not to disturb the wound. If the 
wound is across the muscle and is of an inch or 
more in depth, stitching is of no benefit, as we can- 
not prevent the cut ends from moving below the 
stitches and union will not take place, but if it is 
superficial it may be stitched as before described. 
If the part should swell and get hot it will be nec- 
essary to take out some of the pins or stitches in 
order to get it cleaned. Foment with hot water or 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 285 

cold water. Then inject some of the carbolic lo- 
tion; do this several times daily. After the in- 
flammation has been subdued the wound will heal 
by granulation. 

Lacerated (torn) wounds require to be examined 
as the others, cold' or hot water used to stop bleed- 
ing, and cleaned by letting water run 'over them. 
There is no benefit to be derived from sewing up 
a wound of this kind, as the ragged parts have to 
slough off in the form of matter, and if it is penned 
up by the wound being stitched it cannot escape; 
the parts swell, and the stitches give way, leaving 
the edges more ragged than before, so it is best 
in all cases of torn wounds not to stitch them. If 
after a time the wound should assume an un- 
healthy or spongy appearance, use acetate of lead, 
half an ounce; sulphate of zinc, half an ounce; acid 
carbolic, one dram, and water, one quart. Clean 
the wound with water, then apply< a little of this 
lotion twice a day. 

Punctured wounds are the most dangerous of 
all because they are liable to contain foreign sub- 
stances, such as hair, pieces of wood, etc., and are 
likely to inflame, ending in mortification and per- 
haps the death of the animal. Wounds of this 
kind require to be examined with great care. 
Probe the part to find the depth and direction of 
the wound, also to ascertain if there is any foreign 
substance at the bottom of it, and if so, it must be 
removed. It is advisable to make the opening 
larger, also to have it depending, so that any fluid 
or matter that may form in it will run out. It is 



286 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

often very difficult and even dangerous to do this, 
besides causing extra suffering to the animal. 
And I find that a depending opening in the ma- 
jority of cases is unnecessary if the wound is prop- 
erly treated. Instead of enlarging the wound, 
clean it as well as possible, then dip a piece of soft 
muslin in a solution of carbolic acid, three drams; 
water, four ounces ; press this down to the bottom 
of the wound with a probe, let it remain in for a few 
hours, then draw it out and put in a fresh one; do 
this three times a day for a few days. This will 
act as an antiseptic, destroying germ life and pre- 
venting mortification. In a few days matter will 
form and all danger is passed. Clean it out twice 
a day with warm water and inject a little of the 
carbolic lotion used for incised wounds. 

Contused Wounds. — These are usually caused 
by pressure, kicks or bruises. In the majority of 
cases the skin is not broken, and if the part is 
bathed with acetate of lead, half an ounce; water, 
one quart, several times a day to keep down infiam- 
mation it will likely give no trouble, but sometimes 
effusion will collect from the effects of the injury, 
and the part will swell up and will be soft and 
puffy to the touch. In this case it will be neces- 
sary to open it and allow the fluid to escape. Then 
inject a little of the following twice a day : Zinc 
chloride, two drams; water, one quart. If it leaves 
a thickening, rub on biniodide of mercury, one 
dram; lard, one and a half ounces, every second 
week. For old, unhealthy sores, such as are made 
by a constant rubbing and will not heal, remove 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 287 

the cause and apply a little terchloride of antimony 
with a feather. In three days a scab will come 
off, and if it looks soft and spongy apply a little 
more of the antimony every third day until the 
part becomes healthy. Then use zinc oxide, one 
ounce; lard, two ounces; rub on a little once 
daily. 

We now come to speak of wounds of the low or- 
der of tissue, which is found in the legs from a little 
above the knees and hock joints to the feet; here 
we have the tendons, ligaments, cartilage and their 
connective tissue covered by skin. These struc- 
tures when injured require great care so that they 
will heal without leaving a lump or blemish. 
Usually a low form of inflammation sets in and we 
have a discharge of a yellow sticky substance which 
exudes from the wounded tendon, also secretions 
from the connective tissue. The surrounding 
parts swell and become hard. The center of the 
wound also fills up and in time becomes higher 
than the surrounding skin, and when the wound 
heals it leaves at this part what is called a bunch 
without any hair, which is a very unsightly blem- 
ish. On account of so many barb-wire fences now- 
adays there are a great many horses and colts 
blemished about the legs and feet. When an ani- 
mal meets with an injury to any part of the leg 
from the knee downward, put it in a place where 
it can be kept quiet and prevent it from hurting 
the part. Bathe it every half hour for the first 
twenty-four hours with a lotion made with acetate 
of lead, half an ounce; sulphate of zinc, half an 



288 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ounce; tincture of arnica, two ounces; water, one 
quart. This will keep down inflammation and 
prevent the outpouring of the secretions above 
mentioned. After twenty -four hours bathe it well 
three times daily until it heals. If it should fill 
up higher than the skin, then apply a little bi- 
chloride of mercury with a smooth piece of stick. 
Never use more at a time than would lie on a dime, 
as there is danger, if large quantities are used, of 
enough becoming absorbed to poison the animal. 
Use it every third day until it is lower than the 
surrounding skin. Apply the healing lotion as be- 
fore. By keeping the center lower than the sur- 
rounding parts the skin will grow over it, leaving 
no bunch or blemish. If there should be a thick- 
ening of the surrounding skin, which I have some- 
times seen after it is healed, rub on a little of the 
following : Biniodide of mercury, two drams ; lard, 
four ounces, mix. Let it remain on twenty-four 
hours, then wash off and apply a little lard. Ee- 
peat every second w^eek until the enlargement dis- 
appears. In any of the above named injuries, if 
the animal is fevered or its legs swell from stand- 
ing, give the adult horse half an ounce of nitrate 
of potassium three times a day in its drinking wa- 
ter or a bran mash for a few days, and half this 
quantity for a yearling. If the animal is in an un- 
thrifty condition give the following: Sulphate of 
iron, four ounces; nux vomica, two ounces; nitrate 
of potassium, four ounces; mix and divide into 
twenty-four doses, one to be given twice a day in 
mash, and half the quantitj^ for a yearling colt. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

DISEASES OP THE EYE. 

Simple Ophthalmia (Conjunct ivitis). — This is an 
inflammation of the superficial structures of the 
eye. 

Causes: Colds, injuries, bites from insects, the 
lodgment of chaff or other foreign 'bodies, and from 
"pink-eye." 

Symptoms : The eyelid will be closed or partial- 
ly so from the swelling; there will be an increase 
in the secretion of tears, which will run down the 
cheeks, scalding them, and in a short time the hair 
will drop out where the tears pass over; the eye- 
ball will be drawn back and the membrana nicti- 
tans (the haw) partially covering the eye. The lin- 
ing membrane of the eyelids is red and swollen, 
and in bad cases it will protrude between the lids. 
In the course of a day or two if it is not attended to 
there will be a whitish scum form over the eye. If 
it is caused by an injury there will usuall}^ be found 
a mark or a depression on the ball. If from chaff 
or other substances it can be readily seen. 

Treatment: Carefully examine the eye to find 
the cause; if it is a hay-seed or chaff or other body 
it must be removed. This is usually difficult, as 
the horse or ox will force the haw over the eye and 
thus prevent you from getting the foreign sub- 



290 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

stance out; a twitch should be put on the horse's 
nose, or the finger and thumb on the ox's nose. 
This will attract their attention. Hay-seed and 
chaff are best removed by putting a piece of soft 
silk or muslin on the end of a probe or stick and 
gently pushing upwards and backwards, in this 
way remoying it. If any substance should be stick- 
ing into the eye, it is best removed with the forceps. 
After the cause is removed bathe the eye with cold 
water for ten or fifteen minutes three times a day, 
then apply a little of the following after each bath- 
ing: Acetate of lead, ten grains; tincture of opium, 
ten drops; water, one and a half ounces; this is best 
put in with a feather; use a clean feather each time. 
The scum that forms over the cornea is not on the 
outside of it, but an effusion between the coats of 
the eye, caused by the inflammation, and usually 
when the inflammation is subdued it passes away. 
There is a practice which some have of blowing 
burned alum into the eye; this is worse than use- 
less, as it will tend to keep up the inflammation, 
besides being very cruel to the animal. If it 
should remain after the inflammation is all re- 
duced apply a little of the following once a day 
with a clean feather: Nitrate of silver, five grains; 
distilled water, one ounce; continue this for sev- 
eral weeks if needed, as absorption sometimes 
goes on very slowly in this case. 

Periodic Ophthalmia (Moon-Blindness). — This is 
a very common disease of the eye in horses in some 
parts of the country, especially in what is termed 
the Mississippi valley. It is a constitutional dis- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 291 

ease, arising from some cause not well defined at 
present. Low, undrained lands seem to be at least 
one of the causes, as it disappears by degrees after 
the land has been drained and cultivated. It 
seems to have a tendency to run in some breeds of 
horses. 

Symptoms: The attacks usually come on sud- 
denly ; a horse may be all right in the evening and 
by morning be badly affected either in one eye or 
in both. The eye shows signs of weakness, the up- 
per lid droops and the eye seems smaller, it stands 
light badly, and when the animal is brought into 
the light the eye seems to retract and the haw is 
drawn over it and the lids closed as much as pos- 
sible; there is an abundance of tears, which gives 
the eyes a very watery appearance. When the eye 
is examined closely it looks dull and muddy and it 
is impossible to see the deep structures. In some 
cases the eyeball has an amber color. The disease 
may move from one eye to the other, and usually 
disappears in a week or ten days, to return in a 
few weeks again. Its return is very regular in 
some horses, and in others it may not return for six 
months. The first attack seldom causes blindness, 
but each attack deranges the structure of the eye 
to a certain extent and by degrees the deep struc- 
tures are destroyed, and the ball has a bluish 
white appearance. 

Treatment : There is no cure for this disease, but 
by attending to it when it appears I think in a 
great many cases it can be helped; that is, we can 
subdue the inflammation and prevent destruction 



292 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

of the eyesight. When the attack comes on, keep 
the animal in a moderately dark place and bathe 
the eyes with cold water for ten or fifteen minutes, 
and use acetate of lead, ten grains; tincture of 
opium, ten drops ; water, one and a half ounces, to 
be applied after each bathing; this should be done 
three times a day, and give one dram iodide of 
potassium twice a day for four days in bran mash. 
If this is well done I find that the eye will be left 
as clear as before the attack, but it will not prevent 
it from returning; but if we can by this treatment 
prevent the animal from becoming blind we are 
accomplishing a great deal. I have tried arsenic 
and quinine as a preventive, but have not suc- 
ceeded. 

Glaucoma. — This is a disease of the vitreous hu- 
mor, destroying its transparency and causing it to 
become of a blue color, and is often the result of 
ophthalmia cataract and amaurosis, and very often 
becomes calcareous instead of remaining in a fluid 
form. It sometimes appears in old animals with- 
out any previous inflammation. It is incurable 
and treatment would be of no use. 

Amaurosis, or Glass Eye. — This is a diseased 
condition of the optic nerve, causing loss of power 
to receive or transmit impressions of objects to the 
great nerve centers of the brain. 

Causes : Sudden shock by loss of blood, or I have 
seen it from an animal striking its head, or in fall- 
ing backwards and its head coming in violent con- 
tact with the ground. It has been caused by too 
heavy pulling, or by being driven to exhaustion. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 293 

It is also associated with derangement of the 
nerves of the brain, and is said to be caused by 
various vegetable and animal poisons. 

Symptoms: The eye looks glassy and is wider 
open than natural, the pupil is dilated and gives 
the animal a look of staring, the animal steps high 
and the ears are pricked up and it will run against 
objects in its way. Williams says : "To detect the 
paralyzed condition of the iris consequent upon the 
loss of power in the optic nerve, all that the prac- 
titioner has to do is to place the animal in a. strong 
light. If the pupil remains round and large, al- 
though the eye presents no sign of organic change, 
amaurosis is present.'' In cattle it is sometimes 
caused by a deranged state of the brain from dis- 
ease of the stomach, and is temporary in most 
cases of milk fever. In this case when the animal 
is cured it regains its sight. Amaurosis in most 
cases is incurable. 

Punctures to the Eyeball. — This is an accident 
which is likely to happen to any animal, caused by 
it running its. eye against something pointed, such 
as a nail sticking out on some of the boards of the 
manger, sharp ends of hay, straw^ or thorns. 

Symptoms : The eye is kept closed and there is 
a copious flow of tears from it. On examination 
the puncture will be easily seen. If it is only into 
the cornea there will be an oozing of water, but if 
it is deeper, the vitreous humor may be leaking; if 
so, it resembles boiled starch with a purple tinge, 
and if the opening is large it may all run out; if 
it does so, there will be a shrinking of the eyeball, 



294 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

as the vitreous humor will never be replaced. On 
the other hand, if the cornea is the part punctured, 
as soon as it heals it will fill up again. There will 
be considerable inflammation in the eyeball and 
surrounding structures and the animal will suffer 
much pain. 

Treatment : Keep the animal in a dark j)lace and 
bathe the eye several times a day with cold water; 
after each bathing put several thicknesses of mus- 
lin over the wounded eye ; Avet it often with a little 
of the following lotion: Acetate of lead, half an 
ounce; tincture of opium, one ounce; water, one 
quart. This plan of treatment will reduce the in- 
flammation and assist in causing contraction of 
the opening. It is best not to put any medicine 
into the eye, as it is apt to remove any coagulated 
material that is formed in the puncture or around 
it, allowing more to escape. I usually keep up 
this treatment for a week, and by this time the in- 
flammation will be reduced, and in favorable cases 
the opening will be. closed, and if there is a scum 
over the eye or part of it, mix four grains of sul- 
phate of zinc in one ounce of water and apply a 
little of this to it twice a day with a feather. If 
there is a little bunch at the puncture this should 
be touched gently once a day with a pencil of ni- 
trate of silver until it is reduced as low as the edges 
of the opening, which will then likely close. 

Ulcers on the Cornea. — Occasionally we will find 
a case in both horses and cattle where there will 
be ulcers on the cornea, usually at the juncture of 
the cornea and sclerotic. This is best treated by 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 295 

touching them once daily with nitrate of silver. 
If the animal is in poor condition and not thrifty 
give sulphate of iron, four ounces; nitrate of potas- 
sium, four ounces; nux vomica, two ounces. Di- 
vide into twenty-four doses, one to be given once 
daily. Also boil a teacupful of flaxseed into a 
pulp in two gallons of water, and while hot pour 
it into half a pail of bran and make a mash of it, 
and when cool put one of the powders into it; con- 
tinue this until the powders are all used; repeat 
if necessary. 

Filaria Papillosa (Worm in the Eye). — "Worm in 
the Eye" is sometimes seen in the eye of the horse. 
I have seen only one case of it. In this it was 
called "snake in eye." The worm is usually from 
one and a half inches to two inches in length, very 
delicate and of a white color. Its place of abode 
is in the aqueous humor of the eye, and can be 
easily seen floating in it, and sometimes its move- 
ments are very lively. The same kind of worm has 
been found in other cavities of the body and it is 
likely taken into the system by the water or food. 
It is said that it usually causes inflammation, but 
in my case it did not seem to produce any, as the 
eye was clear and healthy. Its removal is accom- 
plished by making an incision with a lancet in the 
upper and outer margin of the cornea, and the 
worm will escape with the water. Bathe the eye 
with cold water for a few days and keep the animal 
in a dark place. 

Entropium (Inversion of the Eyelids). — In this 
case the free margins of the eyelid and the eye- 



296 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

lashes are turned in against the eyeball, keeping 
up a constant irritation, which is painful to the eye, 
causing great distress and inflammation to the su- 
perficial structures. It is usually in the foal that 
it is seen, but it may happen at any time of life 
from paralysis of the muscles of the eyelids. The 
only cases that have come under my notice have 
been congenital. 

Treatment: Elevate the eyelid and take note 
how much loose skin there is, and the size neces- 
sary to remove to keep the e^^elashes in their prop- 
er place, then fold the skin so that when it is cut it 
will be of an elliptical shape; then bring the edges 
of the skin together by putting small pins through 
them and tying thread around the pins in the form 
of the figure eight (two pins are enough); let them 
remain in until it heals. I have operated on two 
cases in this way with satisfactory results. 

Warts on the Eyelids. — Warts on the eyelids are 
common and are sometimes difficult to remove. If 
they extend out from the skin they are best re- 
moved by ligatures, and when they slough off they 
should be touched with nitrate of silver once or 
twice a day for a day or two to destroy the roots. 
If they are flat on the skin scrape off the crust with 
a blunt knife and apply a little strong acetic acid, 
taking care that none of it gets into the eye. 

Wounds to the Eyelids. — When the eyelids are 
wounded they need to be treated with great care, 
as they are needed to protect the eye. The edges 
should be brought together as carefully as possible 
and small pins put through the skin and cartilage 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 297 

SO that the inner margin will be as close as the 
outer. If the skin on the outer surface only is 
brought together the inner edge will gap and 
union will not take place. When the pins are 
placed through each margin, then tie a thread in 
the form of the figure eight around the ends of the 
pin; let them remain in until it heals. Pins are 
best for such wounds, as they will remain in much 
longer without sloughing than silk thread or su- 
ture wire. It will be necessary to put a wide band- 
age over it to prevent the disturbing of the pins. 
If swelling takes place, bathe with cold water. 

Stricture of the Lachrymal Duct.— The lachry- 
mal duct is a tube which extends from the inner 
corner of the eye to the nose to conduct the tears 
down to the nose, and anything that obstructs this 
causes the tears to flow over the cheek, irritating 
the skin, causing the hair to drop out. Very often 
this can be remedied by entering a small syringe at 
the top in the inner corner of the eye and forcing 
water down through it. If you do not succeed in 
this way it will be necessary to use a suitable 
"bougie" to dilate it; this may have to be used once 
daily for several days. 

Cataracts.— Cataract is one of the sequels to 
periodic ophthalmia, although it appears without 
causing any inflammation, but is usually caused by 
some injury to the eye. 

Symptoms: The first thing noticed is a gray or 
white speck (star-shaped) in the transparent part 
of the eye. In some cases they develop very rap- 
idly and in others the progress is slow. As they 



298 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

interfere with the sight, the animal becomes shj^er ; 
the derangement goes on until the lens becomes 
opaque and the sight is lost. Operations for cat- 
aract on animals are not practicable. 

Fungus Haematodes. — This consists of a tumor 
in the cavity of the orbit. It appears at first as a 
dark red spot, becoming larger until it involves a 
part of the membrane of the eye and the lining of 
the orbit. The tumor is very vascular and is easily 
made to bleed and is malignant in its nature, being 
a medullary cancer infiltrated with blood, and is 
usually of a very rapid growth and is most com- 
monly seen in cattle, although I have seen it in the 
horse. 

Treatment : I have removed it successfully by in- 
jecting absolute alcohol into it in several places. 
This is the easiest and best way. It can be re- 
moved with the knife and the roots touched with 
nitrate of silver every second day for a week. 
When the bones of the orbit become diseased, 
which can be known by the very foul smell issuing 
from it, the animal should be destroyed. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 299 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

ORGANS OF GENERATION IN THE MARE AND COW. 

The organs of generation of the mare and cow 
are the vulva, vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and 
ovaries. The external part is called the vulva or 
"shape." This is the opening into the canal called 
the vagina. Immediatelv inside of this opening 
and on its lower part is a body called the "clitoris;" 
it is endowed with great sensibility and acts as an 
exciter of the generative system. The vagina is a 
musclu-membranous canal leading from the vulva 
to the uterus or womb. Its walls are thin, but are 
capable of great distension at the time of giving 
birth to the young creature. On the floor of the 
vagina and about four inches from the external 
opening is an orifice leading into the bladder. 
This opening is guarded by a fold or flap of mem- 
brane which can be easily lifted up with the finger; 
this opening is called the meatus urinarius. 

The uterus or womb consists of a body, neck, and 
two horns. These horns are connected with the 
fallopian tubes, which lead to the ovaries. The 
neck and mouth of the womb extend a few inches 
into the vagina, which can be easily felt by passing 
the hand through the vagina. It is cone-shaped 
and somewhat hard to the touch. There is a small 
indentation on its end which can be opened with 



300 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the finger; this is often so tightly closed as to pre- 
vent the animal from becoming pregnant. The 
body of the womb is made up of three coats: the 
outside coat, or peritoneal, which is continuous 
with the lining of the abdominal cavity; the mus- 
cular coat is endowed with great power of con- 
traction, and is the principal agent in expelling the 
foetus. The inner coat is mucous membrane. In 
the cow this membrane has a number of cone- 
shaped bodies attached to its inner surface, some 
sixty in number, called cotyledons. In the mare 
this membrane is smooth; the placenta or after- 
birth is attached to this membrane and is 
usually expelled at the time of the birth of the 
young creature. 

The fallopian tubes are two canals which lead 
from the horns of the womb to the ovaries. They 
are two pear-shaped bodies situated in the lumbar 
region between the kidneys. When the spermatic 
fluid of the male reaches the uterus it finds its way 
to the fallopian tubes, through which it passes to 
the ovaries, where it meets the ova in the fallopian 
tubes and impregnation takes place. The fertil- 
ized ovum passes down through the fallopian 
tubes into the uterus, where changes occur which 
form into a living creature. It will be readily un- 
derstood from this description that any obstruc- 
tion to these fallopian tubes will cause barrenness. 
The ovum in passing the fallopian tubes receives 
materials from the walls of the tubes to form the 
covering called the chorion, the membrane which 
attaches the foetus to the inner membrane of the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 301 

womb. The inner membrane of the womb, by the 
time that the impregnated ovum reaches it, be- 
comes thickened and velvety looking, and full of 
small blood vessels; and although the blood ves- 
sels of the one have no direct communication with 
the other, but being very vascular and in close con- 
tact, the blood of the mother, loaded with matters 
necessary for the growth and vitality of the young 
creature, is constantly going on between them. In 
the cow the points of connection between the 
mother and foetus are the cotyledons, already men- 
tioned on the inner lining of the womb, and a num- 
ber corresponding on the outside of the chorion of 
the foetus. The placenta or afterbirth is com- 
posed of three membranes. First: The chorion, 
the one already described. Second: The amnion, 
called the water bag. Third: The allantoid. The 
amnion contains a fluid in which the young crea- 
ture floats, and the escape of this fluid is one of the 
earliest signs of parturition. The allantoid mem- 
brane is situated between the chorion and amnion 
and acts as a receptacle for the urine of the foetus, 
being connected by a tube called the urachus to 
the bladder. This tube at the time of birth is rup- 
tured and shrivels up and the urine passes by the 
proper channel. In some cases, especially in the 
foal, the urine passes both ways on account of this 
tube not shriveling up. The umbilical cord or na- 
vel string is formed by this urachus and the blood 
vessels which pass from the chorion to the foetus. 
In the act of parturition this cord is usually rup- 
tured. These membranes connected are what 



202 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE). 

form the afterbirth which usually comes away at 
the time of delivery. 

STERILITY. 

This happens more commonly in well-bred ani- 
mals, especially in those that are forced by over- 
feeding. There are several causes. First: Dis- 
ordered ovaries. Second: Obstructions to the fal- 
lopian tubes. Third: Morbid derangement of the 
uterus or womb. Fourth : Hardening of the neck 
of womb, closing the mouth of the uterus, etc. 
Each of these derangements will be described here- 
after. 

SIGNS OF PREGNANCY. 

Improvement in condition of the animal, to- 
gether with no desire for the male. As it advances 
the abdomen becomes pendulous and enlarged, the 
mare becomes slower in action and cross; by and 
by the udder begins to enlarge, also the membrane 
of the vulva and vagina. About the fifth month 
in the cow the calf may be felt. In the mare about 
the seventh month. The walls of the abdomen in 
front of the stifle being pushed up by the hand and 
the hand then removed the foetus will fall again, 
and can be easily felt as it falls down. In some 
cows and mares, even at this period, it is very difift- 
cult to give a decided opinion; and to make an ex- 
ploration by introducing the hand into the vagina 
is not prudent, as the excitement may cause the 
animal to abort. As the period of delivery draws 
near, it will be easily seen. I will not take up the 
time of the reader on this subject. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 303 



ABORTION. 

Abortion is the premature birth of the young 
animal. It is said to occur from the nature of the 
food the animal has been fed on, also the drinking 
water. In my practice I have never seen any cases 
from these causes. I have traced all my cases to 
injuries, fright, and disease of the foetus itself. It 
is sometimes epizootic. In this case I think it is 
a disease affecting the foetus in an epizootic form, 
as investigations have failed to detect anything 
either in the food or water. There is no substance 
that is known by experiment that will cause it, un- 
less given in poisonous doses. When an animal 
aborts, it should be removed from the others, also 
the straw and afterbirth, as the smell or sight has 
a bad effect, and no doubt has a tendency to cause 
others to abort. Be careful not to take a mare that 
is in foal near where an animal has been killed or 
near a slaughter house. I have know^n a number 
of cases from this cause. A mare should never be 
forced up to a steam-engine or the cars if afraid of 
them. Abortion may occur at any period before 
the natural time of birth, but it usually happens 
in the first half of the period of gestation, particu- 
larly in the mare. Usually when it occurs in the 
early stage, it seldom interferes with the health of 
the animal, indeed it may take place and the owner 
be ignorant of the fact. 

Treatment : If the animal is seen in time and the 
labor pains not severe, it m-ay be checked by giving 
doses of the following: Powdered opium, two 



304 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

drams every two hours in a bottle of oatmeal gruel 
until the animal is easy. Zundel recommends 
chloroform to be given in doses of three drams in a 
little gruel or linseed oil every half hour until three 
doses have been taken. Either of these medicines 
I have found to stop the pain and uneasiness, and 
prevented what might have been a case of abor- 
tion. In the majority of cases of abortion all that 
is necessary is to keep the animal quiet for a few 
days and feed on soft food. If the animal should 
be restless, showing symptoms of pain, give two 
ounces of tincture of opium every two hours in half 
a pint of water. If there should be a discharge 
from the vulva, inject a little of the following: 
Peroxide of hydrogen, one part; water, two parts, 
and give one ounce tincture chloride of iron at a 
dose in a quart of oatmeal gruel twice a day for a 
week or two. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 305 



CHAPTER XXV. 

SIGNS OF PARTURITION. 

The approaching signs of parturition in the 
mare are great distension of the udcler with milk, 
restlessness, and often symptoms of colic. The 
mare should be watched, the watcher being in a 
position to see the mare, but not to be in the stall 
or box with her, as the presence of a person dis- 
turbs the animal. It is very important that the 
mare should be looked after at this period, as sev- 
eral things may happen that could easily be put to 
rights. The mare might be in a bad position, or, 
as occasionally happens, if the membrane covering 
the foal is not ruptured, it will become suffocated, 
and it will die in a few minutes. The mare some- 
times tears it off, and if she does not it is the duty 
of the watcher to do so. I have seen numbers of 
colts lost from this cause; besides, he will be able 
to see if the animal is making any progress. After 
the mare has made several ineffectual attempts to 
expel the foal, no time should be lost ascertaining 
the cause of the delay, and assistance should be 
given as soon as possible after parturition has com- 
menced, as the foal soon dies, unlike the calf in this 
respect. In the mare there may be some swelling 
of the belly in front of the udder, and sometimes 
swelling of the hind legs ; unless very great it does 



306 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

not require any treatment, as it will pass away as 
soon as the mare foals, but if it is great and some 
time before the animaPs time of foaling it will be 
necessary to give her some medicine. Take nitrate 
of potassium two ounces, and divide into six doses, 
and give one tw^ice daily in the water the animal 
drinks, or a small bran mash. This quantity may 
be repeated if necessary. There is no danger of 
this medicine doing the mare any harm, and it will 
assist in removing the swelling. 

Signs of Parturition in the Cow. — There is great 
looseness of the vulva, and a giving way of the 
ligaments of the pelvis, and the udder is usually 
distended with milk. When the time for delivery 
is near at hand the animal becomes restless and 
separates from the others, lies down, rises again 
quickly, and shows signs of pain. This may con- 
tinue for some time before parturition takes place. 
When active labor pains set in the first symptom 
is the appearance of the inner membrane of the 
covering of the foetus, the amnion, called the 
water bag. Soon the fore feet make their appear- 
ance, and if everything is right, the head, resting 
on the knees, shows itself. If the foetus is not 
too large interference is unnecessary. There is 
often mischief done by being too hasty, as in some 
cases nature takes considerable time to prepare 
the parts. Usually the mare is only a few minutes 
after the commencement of labor, but in the cow, 
even when the parts are all right, it may be an 
hour or more before it is accomplished. If the 
animal has been in labor for some time and no 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



307 




PLATE 9. SHOWING THE NATURAL POSITION OF THE 
FOETUS AT THE TIME OF BIRTH. 



308 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

progress having been made, it will then be neces 
sary to make an examination with the hand. Oil 
the hand with any kind of oil or lard and gather 
the fingers together and introduce them into the 
vagina with a rotary motion. On reaching the foe- 
tus you will ascertain the cause of delay. In its 
natural position a little assistance may be neces- 
sary. This is best done by pulling gently on the 
feet every time the animal strains. It may be 
necessary to put a small rope on the lower jaw as 
well as on the feet. The only obstacle which can 
occur is that the foetus may be too large for the 
passage of the mother; it will then require con- 
siderable force. This can be done without any 
danger to the mother by taking advantage of 
every labor pain and giving time for the parts to 
relax. On the other hand, if you find the mouth 
of the womb closed, or not open large enough to 
allow the foetus to pass, it will be necessary to 
dilate it. This can sometimes be accomplished by 
moving the fingers or hand in it. If you make no 
progress in this w^ay you will have to use bella- 
donna extract, taken in on the fingers and smear 
it over the mouth of the womb. Also give the ani- 
mal from two to three drams of chloroform in a 
little oil, then allow the animal a few hours' time, 
when it usually gives way. Warm water in- 
jected against the mouth of the womb is useful, 
and ought to be tried when other remedies are 
not at hand. If all means fail an operation will 
have to be performed, which is done by making 
three incisions, one on the upper and one on each 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 309 

side, dividing the constricted ring, which then 
gives wa}', and usually the animal does well. I was 
called to the country to see a cow that had been 
in labor for two days. At 8 p. m. I made an ex- 
amination, and found the mouth of the womb 
closed and hard; it would only admit the one 
finger. I applied belladonna extract, and gave 
three drams of chloroform in a little linseed oil. 
I went to rest, leaving orders to be called at 12 p. 
m. On examining I found very little progress 
had been made. I injected hot water i3er vagina 
against it for one hour, applied more belladonna, 
and gave half an ounce of chloroform. Two hours 
after I again examined it and found I could pass 
my two fingers and soon my hand. In a short time 
it completely gave wa}', and delivery was soon ac- 
complished. 

If we find on examining that the foetus is in 
such a shape that it cannot be born, our first step 
is to place the mother in a position that will throw 
the contents of the abdomen forward and also pre- 
vent her from straining. This is best accom- 
plished by making a hole about eighteen inches 
deep, placing the animal's four legs in it and keep- 
ing them there by an assistant. The operator will 
have very little difficulty in putting the foal or calf 
in its proper position. This particular has been 
overlooked by writers on this subject. I have been 
called to cases where a veterinary surgeon had 
worked for hours trying to put the foetus in its 
natural position, but failed. By adopting this plan 
I relieved the animal in a few minutes. Hundreds 



310 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

of animals are lost yearly that could have been 
saved had this method been known. In cases 
where the animal is unable to stand I find the only 
way we can do is to place the animal on its side; 
whichever one suits the operator best. 

INSTRUMENTS. 

The only instruments necessary (unless for cases 
of malformation) are a crutch and three small ropes ; 
cotton rope is the softest and best. The crutch can 
be made by any blacksmith. This is made with a 
crutch three inches wide with blunt ends, and a 
shaft two and a half feet long, ending in a ring. 



> 



PLATE 10. CRUTCH OR REPELLER. 

The crutch is only necessary when the operator 
requires assistance in pushing the foetus forward. 
Hooks of all kinds are dangerous, as they are apt 
to slip and injure the womb. I have found in my 
practice in all cases where I could reach to put in 
a hook to be of any service, I could put on a rope 
and avoid all danger. I have known of valuable 
animals so injured by the hooks slipping that they 
died, when it was unnecessary to use them. In 
cases of malformation it may be a necessity to cut 
the foetus and remove it in pieces; and in cases 
of this kind hooks are at times useful, and we have 
to run the risk of wounding the mother. They will 
be described in the chapter on that subject. We 
will now consider some of the cases which require 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



311 




PLATE 11. 



312 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

assistance to put them in proper position for de- 
livery. 

A yery common form (Plate 11) is when the 
fore feet are presented without the head, which is 
either doubled back on the shoulder or between 
the fore legs. In this case place the mother in the 
position directed above, then tie a small rope on 
each pastern; this done push the foetus back into 
the womb, then feel for the head and bring it up 
into the passage with the hand; if this cannot be 
accomplished, put a rope with a noose under the 
lower jaw. The assistant will pull on the rope, 
while the operator guides the head into the pas- 
sage, then bring up the fore feet, by pulling on the 
ropes attached to the feet; when this is done then 
let the animal out of the hole and lie down if it 
chooses. Assist the animal every time it strains 
by pulling one of the ropes, whether in the stand- 
ing position or lying down. This is usually an easy 
case. On the other hand, if the animal is not able 
to stand, the case is much more difficult. In this 
case turn the animal on its side, whichever suits 
the operator best, then rope the fore feet and push 
then back into the womb. If this cannot be done 
place the crutch against the shoulder or chest of 
the foetus, the assistant to push on the crutch; 
when the legs are iiushed back feel for the head 
and rope the lower jaw and bring the head into 
the passage, then bring up the feet and deliver as 
above. I was called to see a cow that had been in 
labor for twelve hours ; she was unable to stand, 
and the parts were much swollen from fruitless 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 313 




PLATE 12, 



314 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

attempts to assist her. On examining I found it 
impossible to straighten the head, which was 
turned back on the shoulder. After some difl&culty 
I succeeded in getting a noose over its nose, and 
with the assistance of two men pulling on the rope 
we succeeded in bringing it into the passage by 
breaking the bones of the neck. It must have 
grown in this shape. The fore legs were then 
sought for, roped, and brought into the passage, 
and delivery was accomplished without any 
further difficulty. 

The next case (Plate 12) is where the head is 
presented and the fore legs are down in the womb. 
Put a rope on the lower jaw, the animal being put 
in the proper position, then push the head into the 
womb and feel for the front feet; tie a rope around 
each pastern. When this is done the assistants 
pull on the ropes attached to the feet, the operator 
guiding the feet with his hand to prevent them 
from wounding the womb. When this is accom- 
plished bring up the head. The animal is then al- 
lowed to lie down if she chooses, and assist her in 
every effort she makes by pulling on the ropes un- 
til delivery is completed. In cases where the ani- 
mal cannot stand and the foetus is dead, it is best 
to remove the head. This is done by cutting 
through the skin in front of the ears, then skin 
back to the third bone of the ;ieck, then cut off, 
leaving the loose skin to tie a rope to. The animal 
being turned on her side, push the part back into 
the womb. If this cannot be done with the hand, 
use the crutches before directed. When this is 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 315 



PLATE 13. 



316 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

accomplished rope the fore legs and bring them up, 
then bring the neck of the foetus also into the pas- 
sage, and deliver as above. In cases where the 
head is in the passage, but not born, it is best to put 
a rope on the lower jaw and push it back into the 
womb, feel for the fore feet and rope them, and 
bring all into the passage. Considerable force can 
be used when the parts are brought into position. 
In no case try to deliver by the head until the feet 
are brought into the passage, as it will make the 
case more difficult and endanger the life of the 
mother. 

The next form (Plate 13) is one fore leg pre- 
sented, the other one being down in the womb and 
the head against the pelvis. First secure the leg 
presented, rope the lower jaw and the other fore 
leg, and bring all up into the passage, then draw 
steadily, the feet being a little in advance of the 
head. The only difficulty in this case will be the 
position of the mother. If she is not able to stand 
the leg presented will have to be roped and 
pushed back into the womb, using the crutch if 
necessary. This has to be done when the animal is 
lying down in order that the operator will have 
room to secure the head and foot not presented. 

The next unnatural position (Plate 14) is where 
the young creature is lying on its back with head 
presented. This is said to be a difficult case, but 
when the mother is put into the position already 
described it is not a difficult one. The first pro- 
ceeding is to turn the foetus, rope the lower jaw 
and both the fore legs, pass one of the ropes over 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 317 




PLATE 14. 



318 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the opposite fore limb, let the operator pass his 
hand firmly gainst the withers, and the assistants 
pull on the rope on the other side of the limb. Usu- 
ally the foetus will turn easily, then bring head 
and feet into the passage and deliver as above de- 
scribed. If all our efforts should fail to turn the 
foetus, bring the head and fore legs into the pas- 
sage. I find cases of this kind facilitated by using 
lard or oil to the parts as well as to the foetus. By 
pulling well up and using considerable force I have 
succeeded in delivering in this position without in- 
juring the mother. There is less danger to the life 
of the mother by using w^ell-directed force than by, 
having recourse to the cutting away of the foetus. 
Plate 15. — Another very common presentation 
is where the back and tail only can be felt. This is 
considered a very difficult case to deliver, especial- 
ly in the mare. I do not find much trouble in this, 
as the head of the foetus is usually in the 
fore part of the womb. By putting the animal into 
the proper position and pushing the foetus for- 
ward, it turns to a certain extent, which brings 
the hind legs up toward the passage. Feel for the 
hind feet, and if you cannot reach them put a rope 
around the hock, let the assistant pull on the rope 
while the operator pushes back the breach or hips 
of the foetus. When this is accomplished remove 
rope to the fetlock. While the assistant is pulling 
on the rope the operator will take the foot of the 
foetus in his hand to prevent it from injuring the 
womb; when the two hind feet are brought into 
the passage feel for the tail; the operator will pull 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 



319 




PLATE 15. 



320 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

on the tail of the young creature; also place the 
hand under the breach and guide it into the pas- 
sage. When this is done delivery will be easy. 
If the animal is not able to stand it will be neces- 
sary to use the crutch and an assistant to push it 
back as far as possible. The crutch will have to be 
kept against the hip of the foetus while the oper- 
ator is searching for the legs to prevent it from 
being forced against the outlet by the violent 
straining of the mother. When the legs are found 
put the ropes around the hock, drawing them up, 
while the assistant is pushing on the crutch; next 
secure the feet in the same manner as above. This 
form usually takes time, as the operator has to rest 
his arm, as it soon becomes useless from the pres- 
sure on it, caused by the violent straining of the 
mother. I have had a number of cases of this kind 
in the cow. By persevering 1 have always been 
successful in delivering the animal without having 
to cut away the foetus. 

Plate 16. — In cases where the hind feet are pre- 
sented and not born, great care is required in get- 
ting them through the passage, especially in the 
mare. If the foal should be turned on itSi back the 
feet will be against the roof of the vagina, which is 
apt to be torn by the feet. Rope the fetlocks and 
push back into the womb, then try and turn it. If 
this cannot be done the assistant will pull on the 
ropes while the operator will guide the feet 
through the passage. Search for the tail and bring 
it up and assist the hips to enter the passage; that 
done delivery will be easy. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 321 




PLATE 16. 



322 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

In cases where the head and fore feet are 
presented as in the natural position, but the ani- 
mal makes no progress. Make an examination and 
find the cause, as in this plate I have found the 
hind feet as far back as the head, the hocks against 
the brim of the pelvis, and the body of the foetus 
bent, blocking up on the outlet, and the more force 
used the firmer it would become wedged, so no 
force should be used until the foetus is put in prop- 
er shape. In this position rope the lower jaw and 
the two front feet and push the foetus into the 
womb, sufficiently so that you can get the hind feet 
and push them well into the womb, then bring the 
head and fore feet into the passage. Usually there 
will be no further trouble. 

In cases where all fore feet are presented. 
First ascertain which are the fore legs. This 
can be easily done by slipping the hand up 
to the knee. The difference between the hock of 
the hind leg and the knee of the fore one is such 
that there is no danger of making a mistake. Feel 
for the head and when found rope the lower jaw 
and the fore feet, and while the assistant is pull- 
ing on the ropes the operator will push the hind 
legs into the womb as far forward as possible. 
Then delivery will be easy. But on the other 
hand if you cannot reach the head, rope the hind 
feet, and, as before, push the fore feet into the 
womb while the assistant is pulling on the hind 
ones, and deliver as described in breech presen- 
tation. 

In cases where nothing but the round back of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



322 




PLATE 17. 



324 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

the foetus can be felt. First find by examining 
whether the fore or hind parts are easiest reached. 
The distinguishing points are the withers on the 
fore part and the high hunch bones on the hind. 
Having determined the best way to proceed, place 
the crutch on the part you wish to push into the 
womb. In pushing one part forward it brings the 
other xDart nearer passage. Feel for the head and 
rope the lower jaw, then the fore feet. Having 
done this bring all up into the passage and deliver. 
If not successful in this way put the crutch on the 
fore parts and push into the womb and bring up 
the hind legs. I have succeeded in more than one. 
case in this way. 

Twins. — This is a case of twins. Some- 
times we will find the two fore feet and head of 
one and the two hind feet of the other. This is not 
a difficult case. Usually they are much smaller 
than when there is only one foetus. Push back 
the hind feet into the womb; usually the other 
will be born without assistance. I have met with 
cases in which the hind foot of one foetus and the 
two fore feet of the other were presented. In this 
case push the hind foot into the womb, rope the 
two fore feet, push them in also, feel for the head 
and rope the lower jaw. Then bring the head and 
fore feet into the passage. Before proceeding 
further examine and see that the head and fore 
feet belong to the same calf, as it could not be de- 
livered, and I have known of such cases. After 
delivering the first foetus search for the second 
and deliver by which end is most convenient. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



325 




PLATE 18. 



326 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

There is very seldom any trouble, as they are usu- 
ally small. In all cases after delivering an animal 
search and ascertain whether there is a second 
foetus or not, as cases have come under my notice 
in which a second was born a week after the de- 
livery of the first, which might endanger the life 
of the mother from blood poisoning. 

DISEASES OF THE FOETUS WHICH IMPEDE DELIVERY. 

Plate 17. — Dropsy of the Brain (Hydroce- 
phalus). I was called to a case of a cow 
that could not calve. On examining I found 
the head very much enlarged, so much so 
as to make it impossible to be born. I 
concluded it was a case of dropsy of the brain. 
I put a rope around the lower jaw of the young 
creature and pulled it as far into the passage as 
possible. I punctured the bones of the head, and 
a great quantity of fluid escaped. The plan of 
operation is to put a rope around the neck of the 
foetus and bring it as far as possible into the pas- 
sage, the assistant to pull on the rope to keep it 
firm; then with a sharp pointed instrument placed 
against the forehead of the foetus and a sharp tap 
given with a hammer it will easily pass through 
the soft bones of the head, thus allowing the fluid 
to escape. I once used a harrow tooth, no other 
instrument being at hand. Usually after the 
escape of the water and a little force used on the 
rope around the neck, the bones of the head will 
collapse, they being in separate pieces in the 
foetus. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 327 

Plate 18. — This is a form of dropsy of the abdo- 
men, called ascites, which is sometimes met with ; 
and on account of the distended abdomen it would 
be impossible for it to pass through the passage. 
Once I w^as called to see a mare that the owner had 
been trying to deliver, for several hours without 
success. The head and fore feet were born, but he 
had made no progress, although considerable force 
had been used, and it would not budge, as the 
farmer said. I pushed the foetus back into the 
womb (that part of it born), and examined the body 
and found it very much distended with fluid. 

Mode of operation: Place a small knife in the 
hollow of the hand and introduce it into the womb, 
press the blade of the knife into the abdomen of 
the foetus and the water will escape, the belly will 
collapse, and delivery will be accomplished easily. 

Embryotomy, or the Cutting Away of the Foetus. 
— This is no easy operation, but ought to be tried 
when all other means fail. The difficulty in this 
operation is the hand of the operator soon becomes 
useless on account of the violent straining of the 
mother pressing the foetus into the passage. The 
hand is squeezed betw^een it and the bones of the 
pelvis and it soon has the feeling as if it were para- 
lyzed and has no power to operate. Having de- 
cided to operate, our first object will be (if a fore 
limb) to remove it. This is best done by conceal- 
ing a small knife in the palm of the hand (a knife 
with a ring for the finger is the best) ; make a deep 
incision from the fetlock to the shoulder of the foe- 
tus. The skin should then be separated from the 



328 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

leg by running the fingers between the skin and 
the muscle; when this is done by using consider- 
able force the whole of the leg can be pulled away. 
The other leg must now be served in the same 
manner. Then attach ropes to the loose skin. The 
next step will be to secure the head; this will be 
easy on account of the legs being removed. Put 
a rope around the lower jaw and bring it into the 
passage, then by using force on all the ropes the 
foetus will usually be easily gotten away. In 
cases where we fail in our efforts to bring the head 
into the passage on account of some deformity, we 
must try and remove the head. This is best done 
at the first or second bones of the neck, which, 
with a strong knife, may sometimes be effected, 
and with the aid of the fingers and knife the head 
may be altogether detached. No further opposi- 
tion will be experienced m effecting a delivery. It 
may be necessary in some cases of breech presen- 
taticas to remove the hind legs. This is best done 
by introducing the knife with the ring,^ or a very 
short knife, concealed in the palm of the hand, 
making an incision through the skin and muscles 
over the hip joint to the bone. Then fix a rope 
around the thigh, and by strong traction the 
bone of the leg may be torn out of its socket. 
I have succeeded in this way in a few cases. 
Before attempting delivery make an incision 
through the walls of the abdomen, remove 
the bowels with the hand, and put a rope 
around the loins; when this is accomplished you 
will have no further trouble in delivery. There are 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 329 

other forms of unnatural presentations, but 
enough has been said to enable the operator to use 
his own judgment on any variation that might 
present itself from those already described. One 
of the difficulties we have to encounter is the size 
of the foetus in comparison with the passage of 
the mother. 

I may say from practical experience that a great 
deal of steady force can be used, occasionally stop- 
ping to allow the parts time to relax and rest the 
mother. If the parts have become dry the injec- 
tion of oil will be of great service. 



330 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

ACCIDENTS AND DISEASES FOLLOWING PARTURITION. 

Retention of the Placenta, or Afterbirth. — This 
seldom occurs in the mare, but is common in the 
cow. In the cow the afterbirth is usually re- 
tained for some time after the calf is expelled ; but 
in the mare at the time of expulsion of the foal. If 
it is not thrown off soon after the birth of the 
foal, it acts as a foreign body and causes consid- 
erable disturbance to the health of the mare. It 
is best to remove it within a few hours after 
birth. On the other hand, in the cow, it is best 
not to remove it until after the third day, as 
it does not seem to do the cow any harm until 
decomposition takes place. The decomposing 
membrane is liable to become absorbed into the 
system, and if the animal does not die it usually 
does not thrive well. The reason for not removing 
earlier in the cow is that the placenta adheres to 
the cotyledons on the inside membrane of the 
womb (already described), which are very vascular 
and easily made to bleed, and forcing them away too 
soon might cause troublesome bleeding. There 
are no cotyledons on the womb of the mare, hence 
little danger of bleeding by their early removal. 
All the so-called cleansing medicines usually do 
harm. In my practice I find that medicines have 
no action or power to expel the afterbirth. The 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 331 

hand is the only safe and proper method for its 
removal. The operation is simple. See that the 
finger nails are short so that they will not wound 
the soft parts, then oil the hand and introduce it 
into the womb ; carefully separate the afterbirths 
from its connections with the cotyledons; then 
wash out the womb with warm water, in which 
a little carbolic acid has been well mixed. Half an 
ounce of the acid to a pail of water. In order to 
have the acid thoroughly mixed put the acid in a 
bottle of water and shake up well, then put it into 
the pail. A good large syringe is the best means 
to inject the water into the womb. In the absence 
of a syringe a sponge or piece of soft muslin will 
answer. After a few days if there is a discharge 
of a foul-smelling matter from the vagina it will 
be necessary to wash out the w^omb again with 
warm water and carbolic acid as before. Also give 
the cow a dose of physic. The best is Epsom salts 
one to one and a half pounds dissolved in a half 
gallon of cold water; also put a couple of tea- 
spoonfuls of ground ginger in it. After the physic 
has operated then give the following in food twice 
daily: Sulphate of iron two ounces, pulverized 
gentian two ounces, mix and divide into twelve 
doses, one to be given morning and night in bran 
mash until all are taken. This quantity can be 
repeated if necessary. If the animal should get 
into a weakened condition from the effects of de- 
leterious materials absorbed from the womb dur- 
ing the decomposition of the afterbirth, which 
sometimes takes place, the symptoms are: Com- 



332 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

plete loss of appetite, pulse quick and weak, and 
almost imperceptible at the jaw, breathing fast, 
and usually followed by diarrhoea, and as before 
mentioned a very foul-smelling discharge from 
the vagina. At this stage of the disease unless 
proper means be taken the animal soon dies. The 
treatment must be of a stimulating and tonic na- 
ture. I find the following prescription very valu- 
able: Sweet spirits of nitre two ounces, tincture 
of gentian two ounces, tincture of ginger two 
ounces, tincture chloride of iron one ounce, mix 
and give at one dose in a quart of oatmeal gruel. 
A dose of this kind should be given three times 
daily until reaction takes place. 

Inversion of the Urino-Genital Organs. — This 
is a derangement more common in the cow than in 
the mare, and is usually attended with danger to 
the life of the animal, and prompt measures must 
be taken to restore the parts to their natural posi- 
tion. Inversion of the bladder is not common, but 
from violent straining it may occur, especially in 
the cow and mare, and is often fatal. If complete- 
ly inverted and has been in that state for some 
time, the walls become swollen and render its re- 
turn almost impossible. The symptoms are a large 
tumor between the lips of the vulva, or shape, 
and a constant dripping of urine from the ureters 
(the canals which convey the urine from the kid- 
neys to the bladder); the animal will make at- 
tempts to pass urine, but will fail to do so. 

Treatment: Give the animal a dose of opium, 
from one to two drams, either in a ball or in gruel. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 333 

Bathe the part well for half an hour with warm wa- 
ter, in which put two ounces of tincture of opium. 
After this is done put the animal in a standing po- 
sition, the fore parts lowered, then by gentle pres- 
sure on the center part of the bladder it will usu- 
ally return to its proper place. If all our efforts 
fail to return it excision may be tried. This is best 
accomplished by tying a small cord tight external 
to the ureters, or canals, so as not to stop the 
urine. This done, take a sharp knife and remove 
all external to the cord or ligature. In a few days 
the portion with the ligature will slough off and 
the parts will heal without any further treatment. 
There will always be an incontinence of urine, 
but this is not of much importance in the cow or 
sow, as they can be fattened. In cases where the 
bladder has been returned the animal will require 
to be watched for a few days until the irritation 
has passed off. The animal must be kept with its 
hind parts elevated a little, and be given a dram 
dose of opium three times daily, if necessary, to 
allay the irritation. 

Inversion of the Vagina. — This occurs before 
parturition and is caused by debility, usually the 
result of being poorly kept or from standing on a 
slanting floor. 

Treatment : Put the animal in a position where 
her hind parts will be elevated slightly. Bathe 
the part well for half an hour with warm water 
and clean it well, then return by pressure with the 
hand. Give the animal good food and a dram dose 
of opium three times daily until straining ceases. 



334 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

I find it necessary sometimes to put on a truss, 
which will be described in Inversion of the 
Uterus. After the birth of the young creature 
there will be no further trouble. 

Inversion of the Uterus. — This very trouble- 
some affection known as falling down of the womb 
is common to cows; but may happen in the mare. 
The immediate cause of inversion is relaxation of 
the ligaments of that organ, whose duty it is to 
retain it in its position. It is further aggravated 
by the congested and enlarged state. This is 
brought about by debility of the animal and rough 
handling at the time of parturition; also, the ani- 
mal having to stand or lie on a slanting floor; and 
to make matters still worse it is usually too short 
for the animaPs body. Cows in calf should never 
be put into a stall of this kind. A little attention 
to the animal's comfort, good food and exercise, 
and this troublesome affection would be of rare 
occurrence. The great difficulty in returning this 
organ is quite apparent when we consider its vast 
bulk in comparison with the passage of the va- 
gina, and also the violent expulsion of the mother. 
This latter can be counteracted by placing the ani- 
mal with its fore feet in a hole as before described. 
Our first object will be to have it well washed and 
all straw and dung removed. If the afterbirth, 
or part of it, is still adhering to it, carefully 
detach all, and if there should be much bleeding, 
bathe well with cold water. Put half an ounce of 
sugar of lead to the pail of water; this will soon 
stop the hemorrhage. The womb being thorough- 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 335 

ly cleaned and put into a clean cloth and supported 
by two assistants, one on each side, and the ani- 
mal put into the position before mentioned, the 
operator will commence by putting a hand on each 
side of the neck of the womb and press as much as 
possible of it in, then place the fist against the 
fundus or lower part, and by steady pressure it 
will usually return. The operator will retain his 
hand in it for ten or fifteen minutes, moving it 
in the womb. This assists in placing it in its prop- 
er position. I have found it necessary in some cases 
to take a small piece of ice in my hand into the 
womb, and move it about to assist in causing 
the organ to contract. If the animal is unable to 
stand there will be great difficulty in returning 
it. In the recumbent position it is not easy to pre- 
vent the violent straining of the mother, which the 
strength of the operator would not be sufficient to 
combat. I have succeeded in some cases in lessen- 
ing the straining by giving opium in two-dram 
doses in a little gruel. Dobson says: "There are 
cases, however, in which from the great size of the 
uterus, swelling, and violent expulsive pains, it 
will be found difficult or absolutely impossible 
to return it. The animal should here be put on 
her back and her hind parts raised by means of 
pulleys, when the return will be very much facili- 
tated." I have succeeded in a few cases in this 
way, and it should be tried when others fail. After 
it has been returned it will be necessary to pre- 
vent the animal from expelling it again. Give the 
animal two drams of opium in a little oatmeal 



336 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

gruel and put on a truss, which can be easily made 
as follows: Take a piece of leather about ten 
inches long and six inches wide, and make a hole 
in each corner (the leg of an old boot will answer) 
large enough to admit the finger; fix a rope in 
each hole long enough to reach the neck. Put a 
rope or strap around the neck, withers and loins. 
Place the leather over the vulva, or shape; pass 
two of the ropes attached to the leather down be- 



PLATE 19. REPRESENTING THE TRUSS. 

tween the hind legs, along each side of the udder, 
along between the fore legs, and tie to the strap 
around the neck; also fix them to the ropes around 
the loins and withers, the two upper ropes to be 
passed along the back and tied also to the strap 
on the back, and your truss is complete. The ani- 
mal requires to be watched and the ropes tight- 
ened or adjusted if necessary. The truss should 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 337 

be worn for at least ten days. In cases where it 
is impossible to return it, mortification will soon 
set in, or the animal may die from collapse. In 
this case an operation is necessary, and is easily 
performed, and some cases of recovery have been 
reported. Tie a ligature tight around the neck 
of the womb and with a sharp knife remove all 
external to the ligature. In a few days the liga- 
ture will slough off, and no after treatment is nec- 
essary. 

DROPSY OF THE UTERUS. 

This disease seldom occurs in the domestic ani- 
mal. A few cases have been reported. 

The symptoms are those of pregnancy. The af- 
fected animal is thought to be in this condition 
until the period of gestation passes without any 
signs of parturition. Upon examining the womb 
it is found to be greatly enlarged and fluctuating 
when pressed upon. 

The treatment consists in opening the mouth of 
the womb with the fingers and the fluid will es- 
cape. In some cases a trocar will be required to 
pass in and draw off the fluid. As there is a tend- 
ency for the fluid to accumulate again, a cure is 
impossible ; and if the patient be a cow it should 
be fattened for the butchers. 

MAMMARY GLANDS, OR UDDER. 

This is divided into four compartments in the 
cow and two in the mare. It is made up of a num- 
ber of glands well supplied with blood vessels; 
these glands secrete the milk from the blood. 



338 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

During pregnancy there is an increased quantity 
sent to the udder. As the animal nears the period 
of parturition, the udder being distended with 
milk, the great supply of blood to it makes 
this organ yery sensitive and easily inflamed; this 
is more especially the case in the young cow with 
her first calf. 

Mammitis, or Inflammation of the Udder. — This 
disease is known as "garget," and consists of in- 
flammation of a part or the whole of the organ. 
It is a common disease in the cow, but rare in the 
mare. By care and good management this dis 
ease can nearly always be prevented. When the 
udder becomes greatly distended with milk (which 
it often does before parturition) it should be re- 
lieved by drawing off some milk, and if hot and 
tender should be bathed with warm water for half 
an hour at a time at least. This will be a great re- 
lief to the animal, as well as preventing the udder 
from becoming inflamed. There is a prevailing 
idea among farmers that milking a cow before 
calving is an injury and prevents or prolongs the 
period of calving. This is a mistake, as there is 
nothing we can do that will interfere with nature 
in this respect. I have had cases tested, and found 
no difference in those that were milked a few days 
previous to parturition and those that were not; 
it should be done in all cases Avhere the udder is 
much distended, thereby relieving the suffering 
animal and saAdng the owner from loss. 

Causes of garget, or inflammation of the udder, 
are injuries, as blows, kicks, scratches, and being 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 33^ 

horned by other cows; also by the udder being 
over-distended with milk, either before or after 
calving. When this organ is inflamed the inflam- 
mation causes the milk in it to coagulate, separat- 
ing' into curds and whev. When the teats are 
drawn, shreds of coagulated milk come away 
mixed with whey. This curdled milk sometimes 
stops up the orifice of the teat and allows nothing 
to pass through it. This is a bad complication, 
often destroying part or the whole of the udder. 
It may arise from the animal being in too ple- 
thoric a state, and being fed on sloppy food. It may 
occur without any apparent cause. It is said hot 
weather has a tendency to produce it. 

Symptoms of mammitis are increased heat, red- 
ness, swelling and pain. As the swelling in- 
creases it becomes hard and very tender to the 
touch. The animal will show much distress if 
made to move, and lameness in one or both hind 
legs. When very much distended the animal will 
be stiff and not inclined to move unless forced to 
do so. In bad cases the animal will show consti- 
tutional symptoms characterized by loss of appe- 
tite, dry nose, quick pulse, seventy to eighty per 
minute, labored breathing. Instead of milk com- 
ing when the teats are drawn, a thin whey mixed 
with curd. Later on the discharge becomes fetid 
and thick. If the disease is not checked there is 
a tendency for matter to form; when this takes 
place the part will become white in color, and 
pointing; this will break usually of its own ac- 
cord, leaving a deep, ragged ulcer. Sometimes 



340 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

gangrene or mortification will take place, which 
is easily seen by the dark appearance of the part 
affected. If this is not removed it will soon de- 
stroy the animal. 

Treatment of mammitis consists in relieving the 
inflammation; this is best accomplished by giv- 
ing the animal a dose of physic, one and one-half 
pounds of Epsom salts, pulverized ginger one 
ounce, dissolved in half a gallon of cold water, and 
give all at one dose to the cow. For the mare a 
quart of raw linseed oil. After the medicine has 
operated, give to both mare and cow half an ounce 
of nitre of potass, twice daily in the water the ani- 
mal drinks. Continue this for three or four days 
if necessary. From the first, bathe the udder well 
for one hour three times daily with hot water; 
after each bathing rub in w^ell a little of the fol- 
lowing lotion: Acetate of lead, half an ounce; 
sulphate of zinc, half an ounce; soft water, one 
quart. Shake up well before using; continue this 
until the inflammation is all gone. This plan of 
treatment I have found to be very successful. In 
cases where the udder is very much distended I 
find benefit from putting a wide piece of cloth 
around the loins to support the udder, with four 
holes for the teats. The milk should be drawn 
from the bag frequently; or better still, allow the 
calf or colt to suck; as a rule it can do better than 
one can do with the hand. I have never known 
the young animal to be injured by sucking the 
mother while in this state. Notice should be 
taken that the young creature cleans out all the 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 341 

teats. I have seen cases where one of the teats 
had been left untouched. If the matter should 
form in spite of all our efforts, warm poultices of 
linseed meal should be applied, and when the ab- 
scess is ready it should be opened with a sharp 
knife, and when the matter is all discharged the 
wound should be dressed with a little of the fol- 
lowing lotion: Linseed oil, five ounces; carbolic 
acid, two drams; camphor gum, two drams; mix 
and shake up each time it is used. Twice a day 
will be often enough to dress it. If well attended 
to, it usually heals without doing much damage 
to the udder. In cases where mortification sets 
in, it is easily distinguished by its dark color; is in- 
sensible and cold to the touch. When cut into, 
instead of bleeding a little, a dark-colored fluid 
will exude from the cut. 

The treatment requires to be of a stimulating 
and tonic nature. The following I find to be a 
good one: Sweet spirits of nitric ether, two 
ounces; tincture of ginger, two ounces; tincture 
of gentian, two ounces; mix and give at one dose 
in a quart of gruel. Give a dose of this size three 
times daily until the animal is well. In order to 
save the life of the animal all the mortified part 
will have to be removed by the knife. I have op- 
erated on several cases with success. As an illus- 
tration, I will describe one of the cases operated 
on. I was called to see a short-horned cow which 
had been suffering from a severe attack of inflam- 
mation of the udder for several daj^s. I found 
the animal in a bad state, the udder very much 



342 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

enlarged and one-half mortified. The cow could 
not rise without assistance. The pulse was imper- 
ceptible at the jaw, breathing short and quick, 
the appetite completely gone. I gave the cow a 
good stimulant composed of sweet spirits of nitric 
ether, two ounces; aromatic spirits of ammonia, 
one ounce, in a pint of cold water. We then as- 
sisted the animal to the lawn, where we cast her 
on her left side, on account of the right side of the 
udder being involved. I secured the head and 
fore feet to a tree close by, the hind legs to an- 
other, thus putting them on the stretch, leaving 
the udder all exposed and plenty of room for the 
operator. The only instruments needed are a very 
sharp knife, a pair of artery forceps and some 
strong thread for ligature. I made an incision 
half an inch back from the mortified part to make 
sure that all the diseased portion would be re- 
moved by the first sweep of the knife. I made an 
incision about two inches deep, then secured the 
large arteries, secured the vessels, and so on until 
all was removed. To stop bleeding from small 
vessels, I bathed the surface with cold water, 
sugar of lead and carbolic acid, as follows: Cold 
water, one pail; sugar of lead, one ounce; carbolic 
acid, half an ounce. In a few minutes hemor- 
rhage ceased. I gave the animal another dose of 
stimulating medicine as before, and then allowed 
it to rise. She drank a little cold water and in an 
hour's time was grazing, and recovered rapid- 
ly. The after treatment consists in using the fol- 
lowing: Linseed oil, one pint; carbolic acid, half 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 343 

an ounce; camphor gum, half an ounce; mix and 
shake up well, and apply a little to the raw sur- 
face twice daily with a feather until healed. This 
affection in some cases may become chronic; that 
is, instead of forming matter it hardens, and no 
milk will be secreted by that portion, and the cow 
is said to "have lost part or the whole of her bag." 
In order to prevent this the udder should be treat- 
ed even in mild attacks of mammitis, and this 
stage of the disease will always be avoided. In 
cases where it has taken place, it usually can be 
relieved by using the following ointment : Iodine, 
pure, two drams; lard, pure, two ounces; mix 
well and rub a little of it on the affected part 
every second day until it becomes soft. The teats 
or teat require to be drawn and emptied of any 
curdled milk that may be in them or in that part 
of the udder. 

Diseases and Injuries to the Teats. — First: Ob- 
structions, such as small, hard bodies, supposed 
to be small glands hardened, which find their way 
down into the tube of the teat, thus partially or 
wholly stopping the flow of milk. They are very 
troublesome and not easily removed. The opera- 
tion in trying to remove them would likely set up 
inflammation of the lining membrane of the tube 
of the teat and the quarter of the udder, usually 
resulting in the loss of part of the bag. The only 
safe remedy is to use the milk tube. I have suc- 
ceeded in some cases in pushing this hard body up 
into the udder, where it remained. If you do not 
succeed in this, it will be necessary to use the tube 



344 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

at each milking, and by the next season they 
usually disappear. 

Warts on Teats. — Warts are sometimes found 
on the teats and are somewhat troublesome, and 
the act of milking usually makes them sore, and in 
some cases they appear on the end of the teat, ob- 
structing the flow of milk. 

Treatment : Put on a silk ligature tight around 
the neck of the w^art ; in a few days it will slough 
off. After it has sloughed off apply a little ter- 
chloride of antimony to it once with a feather. In 
some cases the warts will be flat with no neck. 
These should be scarified with a knife and a little 
antimony applied, or the part touched with nitrate 
of silver every third day. They will usually disap- 
pear. When removed in this way they are less 
liable to return than by the knife. After the 
warts have dropped off and the roots touched 
with antimony the best dressing to heal the parts 
is the following: Tincture of catechu two ounces, 
carbolic acid two drams, water eight ounces; 
shake up well and apply a little twice daily. Use 
the milk tube to draw off the milk until the teats 
are healed. 

Chapped or Cracked Teats. — These are also 
troublesome, as they are painful to the animal and 
make them uneasy while being milked. The milk 
tube should be used, as milking with the fingers 
keeps the cracks open. Use the same kind of dress- 
ing as for the above. If the calf is sucking its 
mother and the teats become chapped it will be 
necessary to keep them apart at intervals and 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 345 

wash and dry the teats (after the calf has cleaned 
the udder out). Apply a little of the above lotion. 
For all injuries to the teats, if the wounds are not 
deep, nothing is better than the lotion recom- 
mended above, applying a little of it twice daily. 
For deep wounds, especially those which pene- 
trate the tube of the teat, allowing the milk to 
exude, the edges must be brought together. This 
is best done by passing a pin through the lips of 
the wound and tying a piece of thread in the form 
of the figure eight, thus bringing the lips of the 
wound close together. Cut the point of the pin 
after the thread has been tied to prevent it from 
getting displaced. The milk tube must be used 
to draw off the milk in case of disturbing the pin 
until it heals. If the pin should slough out befcre 
the parts have united I have succeeded by paring 
the edges of the lip and pinning up the wound 
as at first. No dressing is required in this opera- 
tion. All plasters and healing medicines recom- 
mended by some writers should be avoided. 

Bloody Milk. — At times a cow will give milk 
tinged with blood. There are several causes for 
this: A congested condition of the glands of the 
udder in one or more of its quarters; a spongy 
state of the glands, from which a little blood will 
ooze on the parts being pressed; also from small 
sores in the tubes of the teat or teats, and when 
the teat is drawn in milking a little blood will 
exude, coloring the milk. If it is caused by con- 
gestion or by a spongy state of the glands, bathe 
it for ten or fifteen minutes with cold water after 



346 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

each milking, and rub on a little camphorated 
liniment; continue this for a fev.^ weeks. Also 
give the cow a teaspoonful of sulphate of iron 
in a mash in the morning and one dram of iodide 
of potassium in the evening in the drinking water 
for several weeks. If it is from sores in the teat 
tubes use ten grains of tannic acid, water one 
ounce; inject a little of this after each milking. 

Cow-Pox (Variola Vaccine). — This very simple 
affection is not often noticed, and so many forms of 
eruption are observed on the teats that it is some- 
what difficult to detect the true from false varie- 
ties of cow-pox at certain stages of the eruption, 
This disease has claimed a very large share of 
attention on the part of scientific men. From 
Jenner's discovery in the dairies of Gloucester- 
shire he observed that the people milking cows 
with the cow-pox suffered from an eruption on 
their hands, but never had the malignant small- 
pox of the human being. This was the origin of 
vaccination. The cow-pox, like other forms of 
variola, is a contagious pustular eruption of the 
skin, running a very regular course, accompanied 
by slight fever. It is communicable between ani- 
mals of different species. 

Causes: The primary cause of cow-pox is 
unknown. The majority of cases occur in 
spring and summer, shortly after cows have 
calved. The state of congestion of the ud- 
der at this period favors the development 
of this disease, and it never has been ob- 
served to arise spontaneously in bulls, oxen, or 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 347 

heifers before calving. It is chiefly seen in cows 
from four to six years of age. Mr. Ceely makes the 
following sensible remarks on the cause and ori- 
gin of this disease. Referring particularly to the 
Vale of Aylesbury he says: "The variola vac- 
cine seems to have been long known in the Vale 
and neighborhood. They have been noticed at 
irregular interA^als, most commonly appearing 
about the beginning or end of spring, rarely dur- 
ing the height of summer, but I have seen them 
at all periods from August to May and the be- 
ginning of June. By some it is presumed that cold 
and moisture favors their development, by others 
that the hard winds of spring after a wet winter 
are supposed to have the same influence. I have, 
however, seen the disease in the autumn and mid- 
dle of winter after a dry summer. The disease is 
occasionally epizootic or prevalent at the same 
time in several farms at no great distance; more 
commonly sporadic or nearly solitary. It may be 
seen sometimes at several contiguous farms; at 
other times one or two farms apparently under 
like circumstances of soil, situation, etc., amidst 
the prevailing disease entirely escape its visi- 
tations. Many years may elapse before it recurs 
at a given farm or vicinity, although all the ani- 
mals may have been changed in the meantime. 
I have known it to occur twice in five years in a 
particular vicinity and at two contiguous farms, 
while at a third adjoining dairy, in all respects 
similar in local and other circumstances, it had 
not been known to exist for forty years. It is 



348 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

sometimes introduced by milch heifers. It is con- 
sidered that the disease is peculiar to the milch 
cow, that it occurs primarily while the animal is in 
that condition, and that it is casually propagated 
to others by the hands of the milkers. But consid- 
ering the general mildness of the disease, the fact 
of its being at times in some individuals entirely 
overlooked and that its topical severity depends 
almost wholly on the rude tractions of milking, it 
would perhaps be going too far to assert its in- 
variable and exclusive origin, under circumstances 
just mentioned, yet I have frequently witnessed 
the fact that stirks, dry heifers, dry cows milked 
by other hands, grazing in the same pasture, feed- 
ing in the same sheds, and in contiguous stalls, re- 
main exempt from the disease. Many intelligent 
dairymen believe that it occurs more frequently 
as a primary disease among milch heifers, but I 
have not been able to confirm this remark by my 
own observation. It does not appear to be less 
frequent on hills than in the vale. It has been 
seen primarily on the stall-fed as well as on the 
grazing animals. 

Origin of the disease: I have met with several 
intelligent dairymen whose relatives had some 
good reason to ascribe its occurrence to the con- 
tagion of the equine vesicle communicated by the 
hands of the attendants of both animals, but very 
little of this disease has been noticed of late years, 
although I know of several farriers who have 
been affected from the horse and resisted subse- 
quent variolation or vaccination, and I have seen a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 349 

few distinguished between the equine and the 
grease, a recurrent disease (eczema impitigonoe- 
des),as it appears to me for many years past. How- 
ever, the spontaneous origin of the variola vaccine 
in cows has not been doubted here. In all the 
cases that I have noticed I never could discover the 
probability of any other source. There is much 
difficulty in determining with precision at all 
times whether the disease arises primarily in one 
or more individuals in the same dairy. Most com- 
monly, however, it appears to be solitary. The 
milkers pretend in general to point out the in- 
fected individual, but as I have more than once 
detected the disease in a late stage on an animal 
not suspected of having it, I am not very prone to 
confide in these representations unless my own 
inspection confirms or renders them probable. 

Symptoms: There are general signs of mild 
fever, and the characteristic symptoms are purely 
local. Constitutional symptoms have been de- 
scribed in some cases as follows: Sudden sinking 
or loss of milk, dribbling of saliva from the mouth 
and frequent inflation and retraction of the cheeks, 
staring coat, arched back, limbs drawn together, 
and rapid loss of flesh. In about three or four days 
red, hard spots are seen, which soon appear cir- 
cumscribed, the teats become painful and slightly 
swollen, the spots attain the size of a horse bean, 
and milking becomes generally very painful to the 
animal. They rapidly increase in size and tender- 
ness and become charged with limpid fluid and 
are surrounded by a red base. The limpid fluid be- 



350 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

comes opaque and purulent, and the distinctive 
features of the pustule is that it has a depression 
on its summit. It is technically termed "umbili- 
cated." It is most perfect about ten days after its 
first appearance. (Gamgee.) 

Treatment of cow-pox: On account of the sore- 
ness of the teats it is almost impossible to milk 
with the hand and the milk tube should be used. 
If there is much fever a dose of physic should be 
given. One pound of Epsom salts and an ounce of 
ground ginger dissolved in half a gallon of cold 
water at one dose. After the physic has operated 
give half an ounce of nitrate of potassium twice 
daily in the drinking water for three or four days. 
If the udder is swollen and hot bathe it with hot 
water for half an hour three times daily, and after 
each bathing use a little of the f ollow^ing : Acetate 
of lead one ounce, water one quart; mix and apply. 
If there is no fever and no swelling of the udder, 
only the eruption on the teats, no treatment is re- 
quired. Use the milk tube to draw off the milk, 
care being taken not to disturb the vesicles. It 
runs its course in two weeks if not irritated. 

Milk Fever in Cows. — This is a disease peculiar 
to the cow. Gamgee and others who have written 
on this subject are of the opinion that there is 
present in the blood a specific element. Some at- 
tribute the disease to accumulations of milk — pro- 
ducing elements in the blood giving rise to fever 
and, practically, blood poisoning — or to the sudden 
overloading of the system with blood, causing 
nervous disorder. Again, another savs that at 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 351 

the period of parturition, when the act is rapidly 
accomplished, a large excess of blood is thrown 
upon the system. The effect is the same as when 
a flux of some standing is suddenly checked; either 
some of the excretory organs exert their powder of 
vicarious actions, or a sudden increase of blood 
pressure takes place. This is the view that is usu- 
ally taken, but I think it is a wrong one, as in 
every cow, at the time of parturition, there is this 
excess of blood thrown back upon the system, but 
nature has provided for this. It is quite another 
thing in the case of the flux ; that was checked by 
administering powerful astringents, w^hich is act- 
ing contrary to nature. Still another thinks that 
it is such a derangement of the sympathetic nerv- 
ous system as seldom to admit of recovery until 
(finally) apoplectic lesions result. The first part 
of the above, I think, is nearest to the point, but 
the latter part is the stumbling block over w^hich 
nearly all fall — that is in believing the nervous de- 
rangement causes apoplexy. When I commenced 
practice, some twenty-five years ago, I followed 
the teaching I have just mentioned, and my milk 
fever patients nearly all died. This state of af- 
fairs provoked me very much. I made a number of 
post-mortem examinations of the animals that had 
died of the disease, and failed to find the apoplec- 
tic lesion described. Of course I found redness 
and some fullness of the blood vessels, but no more 
than one would find in making a post-mortem ex- 
amination of animals dying of other diseases not 
apoplectic. I concluded from this that the dis- 



352 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

ease was not congestion of the brain and spinal 
cord. I then took up the nervous theory, and was 
supported by the following facts : First : The cows 
which became affected with this malady are near- 
ly all very fat and flabby, while in some few cases 
the animals are very thin and weak. Such ani- 
mals are barely able to cope with the violent strain 
and nervous exhaustion which take place at this 
period. Second: The season of the year most 
fruitful of this disease is in the warm, enervating 
weather of the spring and early summer, when 
the grasses are soft and succulent, which increases 
the flabby condition of the already too soft ani- 
mals. Taking these facts into consideration, 1 
changed the treatment from bleeding, sedatives, 
violent purging, and applying ice to the head, etc., 
as directed by most veterinary writers (I do give 
purgatives still, but merely to assist in moving the 
bowels when the animal gets over the attack), to 
powerful stimulants from the earliest stage of the 
disease, or whatever time I may first see the ani- 
mal and the disease has not been too far advanced, 
and now I never lose a case of the so-called very 
fatal disease. 

Symptoms: The symptoms of this disease are 
characteristic. In the early stage (which is gen- 
erally a few hours after calving) the animal will be 
noticed shifting its weight from one hind leg to 
the other. This she does continually, and if made 
to move will show weakness in the hind quarters, 
and if forced to walk will fall, but may be able 
to regain her feet with difficulty. In a short time 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 353 

the animal falls, and is then unable to resume the 
standing position. There is some constitutional 
disturbance, and after being in this state for some 
time the breathing becomes accelerated and the 
pulse quickened. As the disease advances the 
brain becomes affected, which is evinced by the 
animal tossing her head in a violent man- 
ner. At other times the animal presses its head 
against the shoulder or side, and if an attempt be 
made to draw the head forward it will, as soon as 
released, fall suddenly back into its former posi- 
tion, the neck presenting a peculiarly stiff appear- 
ance not observed in any other disease. The eyes 
very soon become insensible to light, presenting a 
glassy appearance, and if touched w^ith the linger 
or other object every sign of sensation will be ab- 
sent. In some cases the power of swallowing is 
lost. At this stage the animal, if not promptly at- 
tended to, soon dies. This is generally the case 
when treated as directed by most veterinary writ- 
ers. By the method of treatment w^hich I have f ol- 
low^ed for the last few years ^ I do not lose a case 
when seen in time. 

Treatment: Aromatic ammonia ten ounces, 
spirits of nitrous ether twenty ounces. This is 
enough for ten doses, three ounces to be given 
every half hour till five doses are given ; then one 
ounce every hour until the remainder is adminis- 
tered. Each dose to be given in half a pint of cold 
water. This may look like a large quantity to be 
given, but this is w^hat is necessary to stimulate 
the nerves into action. I also give from one to 



354 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

one and one-half pounds of Epsom salts, with one 
ounce of ginger, the whole to be dissolved in half 
a gallon of w^ater and given at one dose. Also mix 
a half pound of good mustard with warm water, 
rub this over the loins and cover up with a rug. 
This I do to assist in stimulating the spinal cord. 
After doing this the animal generally lies quiet 
for about eight or ten hours, when she will get up. 
If she does not, give more of the above, three 
ounces every hour until four or five more doses are 
taken. Then wait for several hours, when it is 
likely the animal will be able to rise. I have had 
to do this in some few cases. In this case no after 
treatment is required. In some cases the animal 
becomes lively and commences eating, but re- 
mains unable to get upon her hind legs. It is then 
necessary to give nux vomica in dram doses three 
times daily for a week in gruel. 

Prevention : The best prevention of this disease 
is to keep the cow in a good, firm, healthy state, 
and not to have her too soft and flabby. This can 
be done by giving the animal good solid food and 
not too much of it. In the spring, when the 
weather is getting hot and the grass long and suc- 
culent, keep the cow off such pasture and put her 
in a place where she cannot get much grass, and 
have a stable for her and feed dr^ , solid food, as 
hay, oats or corn. Soft, sloppy diet is not good. 
If the animal is fat it would be Avell to give her 
one and one-half pounds of Epsom salts about ten 
days before calving. It is not wise to give it at or 
a few hours before calving, as it weakens the ani- 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 355 

mal. This treatment I have advised for several 
years, I think with beneficial effects, as parties 
who used to lose cows have, since they adopted 
this plan, not been troubled with milk fever. If 
the udder is full and hard I would milk the cow 
before calving in all cases, as it prevents garget 
and does the cow no harm afterward. 



356 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

MANAGEMENT OF THE FOAL AND CALF. 

There are a great many foals lost every year 
from want of attention at the time of the birth of 
the young creature and for a few days thereafter. 
It is necessary to detail a trusty man to do this, 
The mare, if in the stable, should have a good, 
roomy place separated from the other horses. It 
should have plenty of clean short straw, and if 
the weather is cold it should be made as warm as 
possible and the foal rubbed dry, and in some cases 
covered up with warm blankets until it is thor- 
oughly dry. There are many colts destroyed from 
want of a little care at this stage, as the young 
creature is very likely to suffer from swollen joints 
a week or two hence from the exposure to the cold 
and in some cases dies from inflammatory rheuma- 
tism. Do not be in a hurry to separate the foal from 
the afterbirths, as in some cases the navel cord is 
thick and strong. Let the foal flounder about for 
a while, and in the majority of cases it will break 
off at the proper place, and on account of it being 
twisted off there will be very little hemorrhage. 
I have known of a few cases in which the cord was 
cut and a ligature put on and inflammation set in, 
causing the death of the foal. There are very few 
cases but what will divide if left alone. Dust a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 357 

little prepared chalk on the cord. This will dry it 
up, causing it to shrivel much faster than if it was 
left alone. It has been said that colts born in the 
barn yard, and dirt and bacteria getting on the 
navel before it is dry, is the cause of a number of 
deaths. They give the symptoms as a form of 
blood i)oisoning, causing swelling of the joints; 
but I have seen a great number of colts affected 
with swelling of the joints which had no connec- 
tion whatever with the navel cord. There are 
thousands of colts born in the barn yard, and not 
one in a thousand is affected with the derange- 
ment above mentioned. The reason I recommend 
the use of the chalk is it causes it to shrivel up 
much quicker and there is less danger of a bunch 
being left at the navel. By a non-closure of the 
urachus (the tube leading from the base of the 
bladder of the foetus) the urine will be partly or 
wholly passed through the navel opening. It is 
recommended to tie the cord, or if that is too short 
to stitch up the opening. I think this is a bad 
plan, as the majority that are so treated die. The 
urine accumulates in the tube, and, as it cannot 
escape, sets up inflammation, ending in death. I 
find it is much better practice to apply prepared 
chalk to it for a few days, or use tannic acid twen- 
ty grains, water one ounce; ax)ply a little twice 
daily. In this form of treatment the urine that 
finds its way into the tube will drop out, and from 
the astringent and drying properties of the chalk 
and tannic acid and time allowed, the tube closes 
without anv bad result. 



358 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

Constipation. — This is a troublesome and dan- 
gerous condition in newlj born foals. There is an 
accumulation of very hard material in the bowels 
of the foetus called "meconium," and in some cases 
the young creature has not strength enough to 
expel it, and will give rise to colic, and will cause 
death if not relieyed. The foal should be watched, 
and if it cannot expel this accumulation use in- 
jections of warm water and soap. Do not put 
any salt in the water; it is not necessary to do so, 
and there is danger of it causing irritation. If 
you do not succeed with the injections give two 
ounces castor oil, or four ounces raw linseed oil 
at a dose. If from some cause the foal does not 
get its mother^s milk and has to be fed on cow's 
milk, one-third water should be added and a little 
brown sugar, enough to sweeten it. It should only 
have about a pint at a time, and receive it every 
hour for the first twenty-four hours; then more 
at a time and not so often, and so on, and after two 
or three weeks it can get all it wants. Flaxseed 
boiled into a pulp and mixed with the milk is very 
excellent, as it is nutritious and prevents the milk 
from becoming too hard in the stomach. I have 
known foals to be killed by getting a large quan- 
tity of cow's milk before the stomach became ac- 
customed to it. If this is not properl}^ attended to 
it will likely cause diarrhoea or constipation. 

Diarrhoea. — This is a very common complaint 
in the foal, caused by the food the mother has 
eaten or something the colt has itself gotten. In 
cases where the mother has been separated from 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 359 

the foal for several hours, the colt being hungry 
and its stomach being weak, it takes more milk 
than it can digest, resulting in diarrhoea. In cases 
where it is necessary for the mare and foal to be 
separated for any length of time it will be neces- 
sary to milk the mare, so that the colt will not get 
too much, or let the colt take a little, then keep it 
away for a while until the stomach is strength- 
ened, then let it take more. There is very little 
to fear on account of the milk being a long time 
in the udder, as no change takes place in 
the milk as long as the udder does not inflame. 
Even then it does not seem to do either the calf or 
foal any harm. In the early stages of diarrhoea 
it is best to give the foal tAVO ounces castor oil and 
a teaspoonful of tincture of opium, and change the 
food of the mother from grass to dry hay and good 
oats if that has been the cause. If the oil does not 
cure it after it has operated, give tincture of opium 
two teaspoonfuls, tincture of catechu one table- 
spoonful, chalk a tablespoonful; mix this in half 
a pint of starch gruel. Repeat in three hours if 
not checked. If the diarrhoea should be very se- 
vere, with large quantities of very liquid feces, 
give powdered opium twenty grains, camphor 
twenty grains, acetate of lead ten grains; mix in 
a half pint of starch gruel. Repeat this every third 
hour until checked. If constipation should follow 
give boiled flaxseed. 

Diarrhoea in Calves (White Scours). — If the calf 
is not allowed to suckle its mother great care is 
necessary in feeding it. If it gets too much milk, 



3G0 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

or if the milk is skimmed, there is great clanger of 
it forming a solid coagulum, or it may be in coagu- 
lated pieces, and these become so hard that gas- 
tric juice takes no effect on them, or the hard pieces 
ma}^ form in the intestines, causing irritation, 
resulting in diarrhoea of a very offensive kind. I 
have prescribed for cases of this kind, and usually 
relieved them. I have made post-mortem examina- 
tions of calves dying from this disease and found 
masses above mentioned so hard and large that 
it would be impossible for them to pass through 
the bowels. There are also acid secretions that 
form in the intestines, causing the milk to curdle, 
separating it into curds and whey, producing what 
is known as "white scours" in calves, causing them 
to lose flesh very rapidly, and in some cases death. 
To prevent this the calf should be fed often and in 
small quantities, for the first few days, on milk 
from as fresh a cow as possible. After the calf is 
a few days old it should have some boiled flaxseed 
mixed with its milk. (Oil meal is not good.) Boil 
a teacupful of flaxseed in three gallons of water 
into a pulp, and when it is cool mix a teacupful of 
this pulp in each calf s milk. This will prevent it 
from forming into a hard lump, and it is very nu- 
tritious. If the animal should get into the condi- 
tion above mentioned, it will be necessary to give 
it a dose of castor oil from two to four ounces, ac- 
cording to the size and age of the calf. The oil 
should be made into an emulsion, with two drams 
of bicarbonate of potassium and sufficiency of 
water. This should be succeeded by giving half a 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 361 

pint of lime water two or three times a day in a 
small quantity of milk, until the acid condition of 
the bowels has passed away, which will be known 
by the better color of the feces and the absence of 
the sour smell. Give the syrup of the phosphate 
of iron in tablespoonful doses in the milk and 
flaxseed tea. Cod liver oil is a very useful medi- 
cine, and if the animal is valuable the expense 
would be repaid by the successful result. If this 
mild constitutional treatment is not sufficient to 
stop the scours give a tablespoonful of tincture 
of opium and tincture of catechu at a dose in 
starch gruel and repeat it every four hours until 
it is stopped. Or give at a dose powdered opium 
twenty grains, acetate of lead ten grains, mixed 
in starch gruel. Repeat every fourth hour until 
checked. The calf should be kept in a good, dry, 
warm place. 

Bent Ankles. — Although at birth the bones of 
the legs are usually strong enough to support the 
weight of the animal, yet we frequently find that 
the foal's fore legs at the ankles are bent forward, 
and in a few cases they will come in contact with 
the ground and soon become raw sores. The 
cause of this is, the ends of the bones have not be- 
come solid enough to be able to sustain the weight 
and they bend forward as above mentioned. It 
is very difficult to remedy. If splints or bandages 
are applied, in a few days the skin underneath the 
bandage will scald, and being very tender may 
peel off, leaving a sore difficult to heal. My ex- 
perience has been to keep the mare confined to a 



362 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

small space and have it as soft as possible. Bathe 
the legs twice a day with tannic acid half an ounce, 
alcohol half a pint, water half a pint; mix. This will 
stimulate and harden the skin. Use no splints or 
bandages. The mare should get good oats twice a 
day, and a bran mash, with a dessert-spoonful of 
phosphate of calcium in it for a week or two. This 
will enrich the milk with bone-producing material. 
It is sometimes mixed with the milk and given to 
the foal, but it is very apt to derange its stomach, 
being so young. If the parts should become sore 
apply a little of the following three times a day: 
Oxide of zinc one ounce, glycerine two ounces,, 
sweet oil two ounces ; mix. Shake up well before 
applying. 

Swollen Joints. — In some colts at the time of 
birth or soon after there are a number of soft puffs 
form on the joints, especially on the knee joints 
and stifle. They are soft to the touch, with no heat 
or tenderness; they do not seem to cause any suf- 
fering to the colt; it grows and runs about as if 
nothing was the matter. It is caused by an in- 
fusion of fluid in the bursae of the joint, and where 
tendons play, and as the animal grows, in the ma- 
jority of cases, it will disappear without any treat- 
ment. If it does not, rub the parts once a week 
with biniodide of mercury one part, lard twelve 
parts. 

Rheumatism. — It is a common occurrence to 
find colts from two weeks to two months old suf- 
fering from rheumatism of the joints, causing 
lameness, fever, great weakness, often resulting in 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 363 

death. The kidneys often become affected, caus- 
ing either partial suppression of urine or a very 
great increase of it; matter may form in the in- 
flamed joint or joints, causing its distension. 

Symptoms: Swelling in the joints, which are 
hot and painful to the touch; the colt does not 
want to stand, lies nearly all of the time, it is 
fevered and there is loss of appetite, the bowels are 
either constipated or there will be diarrhoea. If 
not relieved it soon becomes much emaciated and 
dies. 

Treatment : It is necessary to give medicine to 
reduce the fever and remove from the system the 
material causing the rheumatism, and for this 
purpose nothing seems to act so well as repeated 
doses of nitrate of potash, for the foal two or three 
drams of the nitrate of potassium given dissolved 
in half a pint of cold water three or four times a 
day and continued for a few days. After this give 
a tablespoonful of wine of colchicum three times 
daily. The joint should be rubbed with canthar- 
ides two parts, lard six parts ; repeat in three days 
if needed. If the colt will not stand it should be 
held up to suck five or six times a day. See that 
it is kept in a warm, dry place, as lying on the cold 
earth while in this condition we cannot expect the 
treatment to be of any avail. 

Weaning the Colt. — This should be done in the 
fall before the weather gets too cold, as the 
change will be great from getting the warm milk 
from the mother to feeding entirely on cold grass. 
In order to keep the colt from falling off in flesh 



364 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

after being weaned it should have a little ground 
oats mixed with bran once or twice a day, and 
have access to plenty of clean water, and if possi- 
ble should be sheltered from the cold rains of 
autumn, as being exposed to a chilly rain will not 
only reduce it in flesh, but may cause rheumatism, 
ending in destroying some of the joints. During 
the first year at least, the colt should be well fed, 
as this period does a great deal in shaping the fu- 
ture horse. In order to do this it should have at 
least two quarts of oats three times daily. Oats 
are much better food than com for a young grow- 
ing colt, as they contain more of the elements 
which go to make muscle and bone than any of 
the other cereals. There is an idea that there is 
danger in feeding oats to foals, but it is a great 
mistake. Some of the best foals which I have 
raised got as much as eight or ten quarts a day. 
Bran is also good for foals. It not only keeps 
their bowels in good condition, but also assists in 
giving nutrition. There is really more nutrition 
in bran than is generally supposed. Steep a pail 
of bran in water over night and then boil the 
water and you will find that it has given up a good 
deal of glutinous matter, besides lime salts, which 
go to build up bone and other tissues of the body. 
Clover hay is much better for colts and horses 
than timothy. It wants to be fed in smaller quan- 
tities. Colts will eat too much of it if they can get 
it, and in this case it may make them pot-bellied, 
and in some horses may produce heaves, but if it 
is fed as it ought to be there will be no danger of 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 365 

this, and your colts will come out much sleeker 
and better in every way if they get a fair supply 
of oats and good clover hay. This I know from 
actual experience. 

Parasitical Bronchitis, Husk or Hoose in 
Calves. — Parasites in the trachea and bronchial 
tubes frequently occur in calves under a year old ; 
it is seen sometimes among older animals, but sel- 
dom proves fatal in them, but it sometimes causes 
great mortality among young calves. These para- 
sites are known as "strongylus mecrurus," and are 
sometimes found in the lungs of the ass. Williams 
says that he has found them in the heart and blood 
vessels. Hence it is inferred that they arrive at 
the lungs by entry of the alimentary canal with 
the food, boring a passage into the blood vessels, 
passing with the current of blood through the 
blood vessels, and from the latter into the bron- 
chial tubes. There are a great many different 
opinions as to how the parasites get into the 
bronchial tubes, and it is said that in wet seasons 
animals pasturing on low, wet land are liable to 
be attacked by them, and I have no doubt but 
what there is some truth in it; but I have seen 
them in calves kept in a dry place in the barn 
yard and during the early spring months before 
they had any grass. 

Symptoms: Usually there is at first a cough of 
a very distressing nature and of a special hacking 
and paroxysmal character. There is a discharge 
of stringy mucous caused by the severe coughing. 
After the paroxysm the animal gets relief for a 



366 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

short time. The parasites can be found in the 
mucous that is coughed up by the aid of a strong 
glass. This disease is of a very exhausting nature 
and the animal becomes rapidly emaciated, and 
diarrhoea sets in as a complication. Steel says: 
"The parasites imbedded in stringy mucous lie 
intertwined in groups, or stretched against the 
bronchial mucous membrane. When in balls they 
block up the air passage. They also cause spasms 
of the bronchial tubes. Thus they seriously im- 
pede respiration, which is always remarkably la- 
bored in this disease." The usual duration of the 
attack is about two to three weeks. 

Treatment : Collect all the affected calves and 
put them into a house, then close the doors and 
windows, then put coals of fire into a pot and put 
a pound or two of sulphur into it; remain in the 
house with the calves and keep the doors shut as 
long as you can stand it. Then the pot containing 
the burning sulphur is removed and the animals 
left exposed to the gas for a quarter of an hour or 
so, then let them out. Also give each half a dram 
of sulphate of iron in a little gruel in the morn- 
ing, and from half to an ounce of spirits of turpen- 
tine in a little oil in the evening; feed on good 
food. All the bedding and other materials on 
which there is any chance of the discharge getting 
should be destroyed, as it may contain some of the 
larvae, and if it should be eaten by other animals 
there is a possibility of their getting the disease 
in this way. 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 367 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

DISEASES OP THE GENERATIVE ORGANS. 

Gonorrhea (Inflammation of the Urethra). — 
This is not a common disease in the domestic ani- 
mals and can usually be traced to contagion, also 
from the female animal haying a chronic dis- 
charge from the vagina, caused by weakness of 
the mucous membrane of it. 

Symptoms: A desire to urinate often, a dis- 
charge of a thin, bluish white matter from the 
urethra or the vagina, sometimes swelling of the 
parts, and ulcers on penis, with an oozing of a 
very foul-smelling matter from the ulcers. 

Treatment: Wash the parts well with warm 
water and soap, then apply a little of the follow- 
ing: Acetate of lead half an ounce, sulphate of 
zinc half an ounce, carbolic acid half an ounce, 
water one quart; use a little of this to the external 
surface three times a day and inject a little of the 
following twice daily : Nitrate of silver ten grains, 
distilled water two ounces. A glass syringe 
should be used for this lotion. This should be con- 
tinued until the discharge stops. If the ulcers 
do not heal in a few days touch them with nitrate 
of silver in pencil form once a day for a few days, 
then use the above lotion. Give one ounce fluid 
extract buchu and two ounces sweet spirits of 



368 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

nitre at a dose in half a pint of cold water twice a 
day for a few days. If the animal is in poor condi- 
tion mix and divide into twenty-four doses sul- 
phate of iron four ounces, nitrate of potassium 
four ounces, nux vomica two ounces. Give one 
night and morning in a bran mash. 

Phymosis. — This is a morbid condition of the 
sheath. Phymosis is usually the result of an in- 
jury to the sheath or its vicinity. It is also caused 
by an animal standing in the stable without exer- 
cise, and overfed, or it may be the result of starva- 
tion. It is also caused by an increased supply of 
the sebaceous secretions, furnishing material for 
dust and other dirt to accumulate on. 

Symptoms: Swelling of the sheath to such an 
extent as to cause it to almost close its opening. 

Treatment: Bathe the part with hot water for 
half an hour three times a day and use acetate of 
lead half an ounce, tincture of arnica two ounces, 
water one quart ; shake up well and apply a little 
after each bathing. Suspend the sheath by put- 
ting a broad piece of cloth around the loins and 
under the sheath. This will relieve it very much. 
If it is left hanging pendulous it will retard the 
cure. If it is caused by the animal standing in the 
stable without exercise, or if very fat, give aloes 
one ounce, ginger half an ounce, carbonate of soda 
half an ounce, dissolve in half a pint of boiling 
water, add half a pint of cold water, and give at 
one dose. Follow this by giving half-ounce doses 
of niUate of potassium. If the animal is thin use 
sulphate of iron four ounces, nitrate of potassium 



DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 369 

four ounces, nux vomica two ounces, divide into 
twentj-four doses and give twice a day in bran 
mash. 

Paraphymosis. — This is a condition in which the 
penis is swollen and cannot be contracted or with- 
drawn within the sheath. It is caused by the part 
being injured, or from weakness associated with 
debility of the animal, and sometimes from 
paralysis. 

Symptoms : A portion or the whole of the penis 
hangs out of the sheath, swollen sometimes to a 
great size, and of a reddish brown color; and if 
acute inflammation is present it will be extremely 
painful; at times it is cold and not painful. If it 
is not properly treated it may become gangrenous. 
Sometimes there is a condition in old horses m 
which it hangs out pendulous and does not swell. 
In this case there is no cure, but it ought to be 
amputated. 

Treatment : The first thing to do is to suspend 
it by putting a wide bandage around under it 
and fastened over the loins. If it is hot and ten- 
der keep it constantly wet with a lotion of ace- 
tate of lead half an ounce, tincture of opium two 
ounces, water one quart. If it is cold and has 
blisters on it scarify it and foment with hot water 
for half an hour three times a day, then rub on 
a little of the following: Tincture of opium one 
ounce, fluid extract of belladonna one ounce, water 
one pint, after each bathing. If the animal is in 
good condition give the horse one ounce aloes, 
the bull one and a half pounds of Epsom salts; 



370 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

also give half-ounce doses of nitrate of potassium 
three times a day in bran mash. If the animal is 
weak give sulphate of iron four ounces, nitrate of 
potassium four ounces, nux vomica two ounces; 
mix and divide into twenty-four doses, one to be 
given night and morning in bran mash. Repeat 
this quantity if necessary. If these remedies fail 
after two weeks' treatment it will be necessary 
to amputate it. This is best done by the ecraseur, 
as it will prevent bleeding; after it is removed 
treat as for a common wound. 

Ulcers and Fungous Growths. — Occasionally 
open ulcers will be found on the penis which will 
not heal by the ordinary treatment. The ulcerated 
parts should be touched with nitrate of silver once 
a day for a few days, then apply a little of the fol- 
lowing to the parts twice a day : Oxide of zinc one 
ounce, glycerine two ounces, mix. 

Fungous Growths. These are very foul-smell- 
ing tumors which are sometimes seen on the penis 
and are troublesome to treat. If there is a neck 
to the tumor tie a small piece of cord tight around 
it, or if it is large it is best to remove it by the 
ecraseur. After its removal apply a little ter- 
chloride of antimony to the part every second day 
for a week to destroy the roots, then use a little 
of the above medicine to heal it. In cases where 
the fungous is growing all around the penis it 
will be better to amputate it above the fungus with 
the ecraseur and treat it as before mentioned. 
Fungous growths around the margin or in the 
vagina are to be treated in the same way. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 371 

Orchitis (Inflammation of the Testicle). — This 
disease is caused by injuries to the part, such as 
blows, bites from other horses, wounds penetrat- 
ing the testicle. It is also caused by feeding too 
much stimulating food in hot weather or medi- 
cines that stimulate the generative system, such 
as cantharides, rue, tansy, dameana. 

Symptoms : Swelling of the part, which is hot 
and tender to the touch, the swelling often extend- 
ing down the legs. The animal suffers pain 
when made to move. This disease can be easily 
distinguished from hydrocele (water in the pouch) 
by the swelling being hard and hot and very ten- 
der, while in hydrocele it is soft and will fluctuate 
under the fingers. 

Treatment: Give the horse aloes one ounce, 
the bull one and a half pounds Epsom salts. Fol- 
low this by giving half an ounce nitrate of potas- 
sium three times a day in bran mash. If the appe- 
tite is good put it in its food. Bathe the part three 
or four times daily with hot water, and after each 
bathing use a little of the following: Acetate of 
lead half an ounce, tincture of arnica two ounces, 
water one quart. If matter should form, which 
can be known by the part becoming soft, and pit- 
ting with the finger, then open it with the knife, 
squeeze out all the matter and wash it out with 
water, then inject a little of the following: Perox- 
ide of hydrogen one ounce, water four ounces. Do 
this twice a day to heal it. If it will not heal it will 
be necessary to castrate the animal. If it should 
remain swollen and hard after the inflammation 



372 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

is relieved use iodine two drams, vaseline two 
ounces; mix and applj^ a little twice a week, and 
give one dram of iodide of potassium in a bran 
mash twice a day for a month if necessary. 

Hydrocele (Water in the Scrotum). — This de- 
rangement is sometimes the result of inflamma- 
tion of the scrotum or by the walls of the scrotum 
being bruised. 

Symptoms: The scrotum is swollen and will 
fluctuate under the fingers, and the testicles can 
be felt floating in the water. 

Treatment : If it is not interfering with the ani- 
mal's health and not increasing in size it will be 
better left alone. Astringent medicines may be 
tried, such as tannic acid, twenty grains to the 
ounce of water. The proper treatment is to draw 
off the fluid with a hypodermic syringe, the noz- 
zle of which is passed through a solution of car- 
bolic acid. But this should be done only by a 
veterinarian. 

Leucorrhoea (Whites). — This derangement is 
caused from a chronic inflammation of the lining- 
membrane of the vagina, producing an exudation 
of a white glutinous substance from it. The dis- 
charge varies in amount, also in its consistency; at 
times it will be thin and of a bluish white color, 
and at others thick and white. If there are ulcer- 
ations of the membrane the discharge may be 
mixed with blood. In some animals there is a con- 
stant excitement and the animal loses flesh. 

Causes: Contagion, debility and old age, and 
having a scrofulous tendency. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 373 

Treatment : Clean out the part with injections 
of warm water, then inject a little of the following: 
Sulphate of zinc half an ounce, carbolic acid half 
an ounce, w^ater one quart. The part should be 
cleaned once daily. If there are ulcers they should 
be touched with nitrate of silver every second day 
until healthy. Sometimes if it is not improving 
change the lotion to peroxide of hydrogen two 
ounces, water four ounces. Inject at once. Repeat 
every day. Give the animal two drams of sulphate 
of iron and half a dram of nux vomica in a bran 
mash twice a day for two or three weeks. 

Chronic Enlargement of the Testicles. — This oc- 
curs sometimes in stallions that are overfed and 
have not sufficient exercise. It is supposed to be 
caused by a chill or from being bruised, but not 
severely enough to cause inflammation. The 
growth is usually slow, but by degrees they be- 
come very large, and usually their function is not 
interfered with. 

Treatment : If the animal is fat give it a dose of 
aloes. Follow this with dram doses of iodide of 
potassium twice a day in bran mash, and continue 
it for two weeks, then skip a week and give again, 
and so on for several months. Mix ichthyol one 
part, vaseline two parts; rub a little of this twice 
a week on the testicles, and continue it for several 
months. This plan of treatment if properly car- 
ried out is usually successful, 



374 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

CASTRATION. 

The best time for the operation is when the colt 
is one year old, in the calf when it is one month 
old. The latter part of April or the month of May 
is the best time of the year, when it is neither too 
hot nor too cold. Colts that are thin and low in 
the neck ought not to be operated upon until they 
are two years old. 

Rules to guide the operator: First. Examine 
the scrotum to see if there is a rupture, or if the 
testicles have come down. If not it will be wise 
to wait for a few months longer. Second. ]N[ever 
operate on a thin or an unhealthy colt. Third. Do 
not operate during cold, wet weather. Fourth. 
An animal that is confined in badly ventilated 
stables should not be operated upon. Fifth. If a 
colt is thin it should have two or three quarts of 
good oats a day for a few weeks before being oper- 
ated upon. Sixth. The hands and instruments 
should be clean. Seventh. When an older animal 
is to be operated upon it should be exercised or 
worked moderately for some time before the oper- 
ation, or if very fat should have a dose of physic 
a week before, and allowed a regular allowance 
of oats, as it does not do to starve an animal be- 
fore the operation. 

There are several methods of performing the 
operation, but those used at present are either the 
clamp or the ecraseur. My experience is that the 
clamp is the safest and best, as there are fewer bad 
results after it than the ecraseur. The kind of 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 375 

wood is not of much importance as long as it is 
grooYed and strong enough not to bend. A caustic 
is usually placed in the groove. I use bichloride of 
mercury one part, and flour six parts, made into 
a paste with water. It is best to prepare it when 
you are going to use it. The clamp should be put 
well down on the cord and tied tight at both ends. 
Some have the idea that it gives the animal more 
courage to leave the cords long, what they call 
"Proud." This is a mistake, as when the clamp 
is taken off the end of the cord may hang ovit and 
become diseased. The clamps should be left on 
for twenty-four hours, and when taken off the 
cord should be pushed up into the cavity. When 
rupture is present the outer skin only should be 
cut and pushed back, the testicle drawn up, the 
bowel pressed in, and a clamp put on, without any 
caustic on it, and left on until it sloughs off. An- 
other method is to push the bowel in and put only 
one clamp over skin and all, and let it remain on 
until it sloughs off. I think this is the best way. If 
a clamp should come off and bleeding take place 
it will be necessary to cast the colt, find the cord, 
and put on the clamp again. If the bleeding is 
not very great it is best to keep the animal quiet 
for a while and it may stop of its own accord. I 
have seen several cases in which it stopped with- 
out interference. If the cord cannot be found and 
the bleeding is very copious stop it by taking some 
cotton batting and wetting it with tincture of 
chloride of iron or carbolic acid one part, oil or 
glycerine two parts, and pushing this into the 



376 DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 

pouch and sewing it up. I usualh^ let it remain in 
for twenty-four hours, then remote it carefully 
and there is no more trouble. 

Swelling of the Parts. — Sometimes swelling 
occurs after the operation. It may be severe or 
only slight, and this can, in the majority of cases, 
be prevented by giving the animal exercise or 
turning it out to pasture. It is usually caused by 
the cuts closing too soon, preventing the escape 
of blood and serum that will accumulate if the 
openings close too soon. This is one of the ad- 
vantages of using the clamp, as it keeps the cut 
from closing, as the end of the cord is through it 
for twenty-four hours, and when the clamp is 
taken ofC and the end of the cord pushed up this 
opens any part of it that might have closed. The 
swelling may be caused from using dirty instru- 
ments. When the swelling is great the parts 
should be bathed for half an hour several times 
a day and a lotion made of acetate of lead half an 
ounce, tincture of opium two ounces, water one 
quart, applied after each bathing. Open the cuts 
with the fingers and wash out with warm w^ater 
and carbolic acid, a teaspoonful to the quart of 
water. Sometimes it is necessary to suspend it 
when it is much swollen. Give the yearling colt 
one dram of nitrate of potassium in a mash three 
times a day. Give a tw^o-year-old two drams, and 
a horse four drams. This treatment will usually 
relieve the swelling. 

Champignon, Scirrhus of the Cord, or Sarcocele. 
— This trouble usually arises from the operation 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 377 

by the caustic clamp, either from the clamp not 
being far enough down on the cord, or from allow- 
ing the clamp to remain on too long, and when it 
is removed, neglecting to separate the adhesions 
that have formed between the lips of the wound 
and the cord; also from paralysis of the cord. 
When the clamp is taken off see that the cord is 
pushed up, and if it should hang no time should 
be lost before it is removed, as when it is exj)osed 
to the air it swells and soon becomes hard. The 
animal should be cast, the cord separated from 
the lips of the wound and drawn down a little and 
a fresh clamp put on it as far down as possible, 
then remove that which is external to the clamp, 
let the clamp stop on for twenty-four hours, then 
remove it, pushing up the end of the cord; or it 
may be removed by the ecraseur. I have removed 
a portion of the cord that had grown until it was 
as large as a child's h^ad. The animal did well 
after its removal. 

Chronic Suppuration, or Fistula of the Scrotum. 
— This is caused by the cord becoming diseased 
and hard, keeping up an unhealthy action in the 
scrotum and the formation of a foul-smelling mat- 
ter. Very often the wound may w^holly or par- 
tially close, but the matter accumulates within, 
the scrotum swells, and the old wound opens and 
discharges copiously for a time, and so on until it 
is cured, which is best done by casting the animal, 
opening the scrotum, removing the diseased por- 
tion of the cord, and destroying any other un- 



378 DISEASES OP HORSES AND CATTLE. 

healthy tissue in the scrotum by terchloride of an- 
timony; usually one application is enough. 

Peritonitis (Inflammation of the Peritoneum. — 
This is one of the results of castration, and usu- 
ally ends in death, and is caused by the animal 
being exposed to cold rains after the operation, 
although I have seen cases of it when the weather 
has been hot, when an animal is too fat or too 
thin. Dividing the cord too high up is said to 
have a tendency to cause it. It is also caused by 
injuries to the abdominal walls, and may take 
place from being injured in casting, and from ex- 
posure to cold when heated, even when no opera- 
tion has been performed. 

Symptoms: The animal appears dull and stiff, 
does not want to move, and if it feels pain it is too 
sick and depressed to move, the muscles of the 
belly are tucked up, and the skin is tight, and if 
pressed on with the hand the animal will evince 
pain, the breathing is hurried, the pulse quick and 
hard, and the animal refuses food and water. In 
some cases it will lie down and roll as in inflam- 
mation of the bowels, the legs and ears become 
cold and the muscles of the face are contracted, 
which shows that the poor animal is suffering in- 
tense agony. Sometimes it becomes delirious or 
comatosed and dies paralyzed. This form of in- 
flammation resembles erysipelas, and spreads fast 
over the membrane of the bowels and the lining' 
of the abdominal muscles, taking on a low form 
of fever, usually ending in death. 



DISEASES OF HORSES AND CATTLE. 379 

Treatment: Give powdered opium in two-dram 
doses every two hours, until three doses are taken, 
then every four hours. If the animal is in full 
flesh and the pulse very hard add fifteen to twenty 
drops of tincture of aconite, and give it in a pint 
of oatmeal gruel. The continued application of 
hot water to the abdomen is useful. If the animal 
is very restless use mustard made up with hot 
water instead of the hot water. If the pulse is 
weak and small and the legs and ears cold give 
stimulants, such as spirits of nitrous ether two 
ounces, aromatic spirits of ammonia one ounce, 
administered in a pint of cold water and repeated 
every second hour. If the animal should recover 
it should be fed on boiled linseed and bran mashes 
for a few days. Give what water it will take 
cold. 



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